Fault to Wrexham's rail warning lights causes six-hour hold-up

[merlodlliw]

Many of you will know this level crossing which leads to the large Wrexham Maelor Hospital, due to a fault the barriers remained illuminated for six hours causing traffic chaos in Wrexham town center, I was caught up in the traffic queues myself which brought Wrexham to an almost standstill yesterday.

Here is the local Daily Wrexham Leaders take on the major problem.

Published date: 08 May 2013 | Published by: Nathan Rowden
Read more articles by Nathan Rowden


A FAULTY railway crossing closed a major town centre route causing trafic chaos for motorists.

The red warning lights remained illuminated at the rail crossing, forcing the closure of Watery Road, which leads onto Croesnewydd Road, for nearly six hours.

It is the main thoroughfare from the town centre to Wrexham Maelor Hospital and Wrexham Technology Park.

Traffic was congested at the Watery Road roundabout with motorists being diverted down Bradley Road and towards the town centre.

Police were on the scene helping with diversions as traffic also began to build up along Berse Road, onto the Plas Coch roundabout and down to Mold Road.

A spokesman for Network Rail said: “A signaller made us aware at 10.52am that the red lights which signal to traffic when the barrier will come down stayed illuminated.

“North Wales Police were at the site diverting traffic.

“Engineers arrived from Shrewsbury at 2.30pm and fixed the fault as fast as they could.

“The road was re-opened at 4.40pm.

”We apologise to local motorists who were diverted and got caught up in the disruption.

A Wrexham Council spokesman said: “We were on site initially to help with road closures.

“The barriers were down and Network Rail engineers were on site to resolve the problem.

“North Wales Police were also in attendance directing traffic and enforcing road closures either side of the crossing.”

Michael McGivern from North Wales Police said: “We received a call at 10.57am and were in attendance helping other agencies.

“We were made aware that the lights on the barrier were faulty and a decision was made by Network Rail to keep the barriers down.

“Police helped council officials and other agencies to divert traffic.”

link http://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/12...l-warning-lights-causes-six-hour-hold-up.aspx

 

[Gareth Marston]

Many of you will know this level crossing which leads to the large Wrexham Maelor Hospital, due to a fault the barriers remained illuminated for six hours causing traffic chaos in Wrexham town center, I was caught up in the traffic queues myself which brought Wrexham to an almost standstill yesterday.

Here is the local Daily Wrexham Leaders take on the major problem.


link http://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/12...l-warning-lights-causes-six-hour-hold-up.aspx

As far as level crossings go it must have a very high traffic count due to general hospital and bus park it's a bit like Lincoln with no obvious closure solution

 

[AnonymousUser1]

As far as level crossings go it must have a very high traffic count due to general hospital and bus park it's a bit like Lincoln with no obvious closure solution

Lincoln has had very obvious closure solutions for both High st and brayford wharf since the 'university' fly over at the west end of the bradford was opened a number of years ago...

pushing Tentercroft st through to the Pelham Bridge area would make it even easier to close the high st crossing to road traffic

http://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/resi...ects-in-planning/lincoln-east-west-link-road/

 

[merlodlliw]

Lincoln has had very obvious closure solutions for both High st and brayford wharf since the 'university' fly over at the west end of the bradford was opened a number of years ago...

pushing Tentercroft st through to the Pelham Bridge area would make it even easier to close the high st crossing to road traffic

http://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/resi...ects-in-planning/lincoln-east-west-link-road/

Unfortunately the Wrexham town centre level crossing only has two options
shut the railway or close the road, neither will happen, so we will have to live with it.
The crossing BTW is operated manually. Thanks for the info on Lincoln

Bob

 

[fsmr]

Unfortunately the Wrexham town centre level crossing only has two options
shut the railway or close the road, neither will happen, so we will have to live with it.
The crossing BTW is operated manually. Thanks for the info on Lincoln

Bob

Same in Oakham, no room for a bridge at either, and the alternative new bypass bridge to the North cannot be accessed from the South west of the town due to parked residents cars and traffic queues into town waiting to cross the LC into town. The alternative is a 3 mile at least diversion.

However I think the case in Wrexham proved the need for more local NWR response teams. The delay in getting staff into Wrexham to get the LC manually worked was not acceptable. Fortunately, both recent Oakham incidents (tractor and trailer wheel falling off under the barrier threshold), and LGV knocking the Brooke rd barrier off were dealt with expediently due to Oakham based NWR yard

 

[merlodlliw]

Same in Oakham, no room for a bridge at either, and the alternative new bypass bridge to the North cannot be accessed from the South west of the town due to parked residents cars and traffic queues into town waiting to cross the LC into town. The alternative is a 3 mile at least diversion.

However I think the case in Wrexham proved the need for more local NWR response teams. The delay in getting staff into Wrexham to get the LC manually worked was not acceptable. Fortunately, both recent Oakham incidents (tractor and trailer wheel falling off under the barrier threshold), and LGV knocking the Brooke rd barrier off were dealt with expediently due to Oakham based NWR yard

Agree 3.5 hours took far long to attend what was a major incident,in this bizare world of NR areas, Wrexham level crossing comes under Shrewsbury and is their most distant point,yet Wrexham station a few meters away comes under Chesters control, Chester being just down the road.
At least that is how I understand it works.

 

[kieron]

Unfortunately the Wrexham town centre level crossing only has two options
shut the railway or close the road, neither will happen, so we will have to live with it.
The crossing BTW is operated manually. Thanks for the info on Lincoln

One way to reduce the traffic on the Wrexham crossing would be to turn the old Brymbo line by there into a road between the A525 and Croesnewydd Road. It seems to be used as a car park at the moment.

I'm sure you're right about there being no affordable way to grade separate this crossing, but the council could encourage people to use one of the various nearby bridges quite easily. It's not that big a problem under normal circumstances, though.

It does seem strange to me that they couldn't put bags over the faulty lights and get a couple of people to stand by the crossing and stop the road traffic as required. Perhaps the report isn't entirely accurate, though.

 

[TDK]

One way to reduce the traffic on the Wrexham crossing would be to turn the old Brymbo line by there into a road between the A525 and Croesnewydd Road. It seems to be used as a car park at the moment.

I'm sure you're right about there being no affordable way to grade separate this crossing, but the council could encourage people to use one of the various nearby bridges quite easily. It's not that big a problem under normal circumstances, though.

It does seem strange to me that they couldn't put bags over the faulty lights and get a couple of people to stand by the crossing and stop the road traffic as required. Perhaps the report isn't entirely accurate, though.

Unfortunately it does not work like that with the bags over the lights - yes, a sensible idea but not a safe one!

 

[merlodlliw]

One way to reduce the traffic on the Wrexham crossing would be to turn the old Brymbo line by there into a road between the A525 and Croesnewydd Road. It seems to be used as a car park at the moment.

I'm sure you're right about there being no affordable way to grade separate this crossing, but the council could encourage people to use one of the various nearby bridges quite easily. It's not that big a problem under normal circumstances, though.

It does seem strange to me that they couldn't put bags over the faulty lights and get a couple of people to stand by the crossing and stop the road traffic as required. Perhaps the report isn't entirely accurate, though.

Unfortunately the Old Brymbo line goes straight through Morrison s car park and then becomes the Hospitals overflow car park with the bridge now removed, problem is of course the Maelor Hospital is now a base hospital,many times its original size with thousands of extra car movements a day, yet the approach by the signal box & crossing is now unfit for purpose.

I recall when they changed the same crossing gates a few years ago, NR used flagmen for a week to control traffic, but that was planned.

 

[fsmr]

Unfortunately it does not work like that with the bags over the lights - yes, a sensible idea but not a safe one!

You don't need to cover the lights, I have been waved through with lights flashing away by NWR staff a number of times over the years when LCs have failed with lights on but barriers up. All trains then have to stop before the crossing and proceed at caution over the LC so everyone is safe on both sides
Note that the local police are not allowed for obvious reasons to do this.
There is also an issue with high winds that sometime causes the barrier to make the circuit contact in the up position with the circuit switch setting the red lights off intermittently. This happens from time to time on Brooke rd which can be very confusing, you don't get the yellow just straight into red then it clears NWR are aware

 

[TDK]

You don't need to cover the lights, I have been waved through with lights flashing away by NWR staff a number of times over the years when LCs have failed with lights on but barriers up. All trains then have to stop before the crossing and proceed at caution over the LC so everyone is safe on both sides
Note that the local police are not allowed for obvious reasons to do this.
There is also an issue with high winds that sometime causes the barrier to make the circuit contact in the up position with the circuit switch setting the red lights off intermittently. This happens from time to time on Brooke rd which can be very confusing, you don't get the yellow just straight into red then it clears NWR are aware

There is the cost as well as every minute a train is delayed will cost Network Rail £70, work out the cost if the railway was not given priority. It is possible to do by locally monitoring the crossing however if trains have to be delayed for this NR will certainly sooner have the road closed.

 

[Tomnick]

Just as a side note, one shouldn't be waved past flashing red lights (at an LC or elsewhere). Obviously that's less of an issue at an MCB crossing where it's all supervised locally than at an AHB where Plod might take it upon himself to start directing traffic .

 

[fsmr]

Just as a side note, one shouldn't be waved past flashing red lights (at an LC or elsewhere). Obviously that's less of an issue at an MCB crossing where it's all supervised locally than at an AHB where Plod might take it upon himself to start directing traffic .

Yeh I remember the old days Tom in the 70s and 80s when kids or animals on the track tripped the strike in treadles on Brooke rd when it was AHB and the barriers' were then down for an hour or so until they were reset Old plod standing there looking helpless . All trains were stopped and advised at the last signal and had to stop and proceed over the LC with caution
even if the LC is closed to traffic, the trains in my many years of experience driving around the UK go over under caution

 

[Tomnick]

Indeed, it's standard to stop and caution for a failed AHB - because of the risk of motorists getting fed up and taking matters into their own hands (with or without the assistance of Plod!). If it's a full barrier crossing, as long as the barriers are down and the wig-wags in order, you can pull off happily - no need to advise the Driver in that case. Obviously that's not the case if the barriers have failed raised (they should be lowered by hand if it's locally controlled - unless there's an expired tractor and trailer stopping them!) or, perhaps less obviously, the wig-wags have failed - that's a stop and caution (and often pass the protecting signal at Danger) job.

Brooke Road - it's a nuisance .