Great Western Coffee Shop

News coming in of a collision between the Gunnislake branch train and a DPD delivery van on one of the Open Level Crossings between Gunnislake and Calstock.

Edit to add: No injuries reported.

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DuUJV5rXcAAmnFS.jpg:large)

Ouch! I'm glad no-one was hurt.

Journey check says:


which doesn't seem to match the photo.

All Open Crossings on that branch.  I looked at one news report and it had a photograph of an HST passing Sydney Gardens, Bath...... ::)

How stupid. Also to add, that delivery driver must of been driving like hell to miss the crossing lights.

There aren't any crossing lights.  Its an OPEN CROSSING with fixed road signage only.  Whats stupid about it?

I suspect "Dispatch Box" meant the HST picture in Bath was stupid.

I Always thought all crossings had some sort of lights to indicate, when a train is about to come, This is dangerous, some crossings have manual gates, The signals are always off, but have placement switches on the panel, A Driver phones signalman to obtain permission, Then opens gates,drives over and closes them, phones again to inform clear.

  Maybe its time to fit all crossings with gates, you would have thought brussels would have insisted on that. Lastly never seen a crossing without lights,anyway my corned beef hash is going cold so bye for a minute..

Yes.

There are dozens of open crossings without lights in the UK. And I suspect many hundreds, if not thousands, across the EU. Blaming Brussels for not insisting they are changed seems to me just a misguided dig at the EU.

Open crossings without lights are perfectly safe when used properly. Having or not having such crossings is not a political issue.

But why did this van driver come to meet a train?.

That's what official investigations should find out.

Uninformed speculation, such as suggesting the van driver was "driving like hell" and he/she "missed the crossing lights" that weren't even there isn't at all helpful and won't provide answers as to why the incident occurred.

It's highly unlikely that anyone on this forum can answer the "why did it happen?" question.

Murphy's Law shall apply .................

From the first post at the top of the thread, sandt states an open crossing, now the only open crossing I know is where I used to live, lydney, Naas lane that had an open crossing and had lights either side worked by treadles, so that's why I put ,what I put. other crossings around Gloucester area seem to have manual gates and not suitable for dpd vans. Those that are seem to have metal farmers type gates, but have interlocks with the signalling and some single white or red lights.

Having been involved in quite a few incidents like that (investigating them, that is  ::)) the outcome so far has always been road user error........but, we are always taught when carrying out such investigations, 'never assume anything'.... :o

Do you think this crossing will now receive improvements after this incident.

No.

Trains stop on approach the level crossing and sound the horn before proceeding.  Line speed is 10mph.

The crossing MAY catch unsuspecting drivers unaware.  The crossing is not illuminated as far as I’m aware.  The area is treelined, the road itself is very narrow and steeply banked.  There’s a sharp bend on each side of the crossing which would make speeding almost impossible. There’s not much you can realistically do to improve the crossing.

Yes, they were already planned for both the ungated crossings between Calstock and Gunnislake and also the two on the Looe branch, Lodge Farm and Terras Bridge.  Half barriers, I think, but certainly budgeted for in the new Control Period. 

The picture indicates encroaching vegetation obscuring the view of the signage. In slightly different circumstances (vegetation alongside the track obscuring sightlines on an un-manned crossing), the Wensleydale Railway was fined for failing to control vegetation a few years ago. Here either the highway authority or Network Rail might be at risk of censure. Open level crossings without lights should not be regarded as prima facie dangerous - there are plenty in Europe, but signage should be adequate and kept unobscured.

....hence my comment above, 'never assume anything'.... :P

And the same goes for Brexit.