Great Western Coffee Shop

A novice motorist who caused ^43,000 damage when he drove onto a level crossing and almost derailed a train believes the judge made "a good call" by deciding against sending him to prison (link below.)
http://icberkshire.icnetwork.co.uk/chronicle/headlines/tm_headline=rail-crossing-crash-man-believes-no-jail-decision-was-a-good-call%26method=full%26objectid=19743599%26siteid=50102-name_page.html

Former estate agent Scott Lomax , from Gabriels Close , Lower Earley , who escaped injury when his car was crushed and wrecked by the train , claimed he was blinded by the sun when he strayed onto the Shiplake level crossing.

The First Great Western driver and his 30 passengers were uninjured but the car was twisted around and dragged along the track , destroying signalling equipment and railings.

But after hearing Lomax had debts of ^30,000 , and ruling he had not deliberately tried to jump the crossing lights , a judge ordered him to do 80 hours' community service but did not make him pay costs or compensation.

Judge Gareth Davies did ban Lomax from driving for 12 months and told him to sit an extended driving test before getting his licence back.

Network Rail has urged drivers to stop ignoring warning lights at a railway crossing in Oxfordshire.
There have been 28 reports of dangerous and illegal behaviour at the Shiplake crossing since 2007.
These included five near-misses where trains have narrowly avoided hitting a vehicle.
The rail operator said motorists and pedestrians frequently ignored the warning signs and risk their lives crossing when the lights are flashing.
It said the "true figure" of how many people misused the Shiplake crossing was "likely to be significantly higher".
Liz Heading, community safety manager at Network Rail, said: "Jumping the lights and ignoring warning signs is sadly a sight we see all too often, and in many cases with tragic outcomes. Level crossings are safe, but if misused, they all pose very real risks. We're driving home the message that running the risk at a level crossing is just not worth it. By trying to save a few seconds, you could end up losing your life."

Shiplake Level Crossing in Berkshire will be the focus of British Transport Police^s (BTP) attention on Monday, 7 November.

BTP officers and staff from Network Rail will be at the level crossing aiming to make motorists and pedestrians more aware of the potential dangers and to educate them on how to use crossings correctly.

BTP^s Sergeant Chris Maddox, said: ^In just the last two weeks a driver was reported for dangerous driving at the crossing when a train was forced to make an emergency stop to avoid colliding with her vehicle.

^Education is key to everything we do around level crossings. By informing people of the potential dangers of misusing crossings ^ and how to use them safely we aim to reduce incidents at these sites.^

Officers will be at the crossing between 3pm and 7pm to speak to residents and members of the local community who use it most often.

Sgt Maddox added: ^We are working closely with Network Rail in the area to improve knowledge and, where necessary, to take action against those who continue to misuse crossings. Those who flout the law and ignore the crossing signs can expect action to be taken against them which could be in the form of a fine or points on their driving license. They could even end up in court.^

^Level crossings ^ and other crossings where road, footpaths and rail cross ^ are designed to keep people safe. And, when used correctly, that is exactly what they do.

Liz Heading, community safety manager at Network Rail, said: "Jumping the lights and ignoring warning signs is sadly a sight we see all too often. Level crossings are safe, but if misused, they all pose very real risks. We're driving home the message that running the risk at a level crossing is just not worth it. By trying to save a few seconds, you could end up losing your life."

Line problem: between Twyford and Henley-On-Thames.
Owing to a problem at a level crossing between Twyford and Henley-On-Thames all lines are blocked.Impact:Train services running through these stations may be cancelled at short notice. An estimate for the resumption of normal services will be provided as soon as the problem has been fully assessed.Customer Advice:Road transport is operating in lieu of this service for the rest of the evening.

Last Updated: 17/11/2011 19:13

Talking of level crossings, I stumbled across this earlier.  It's a YouTube channel with 189 videos featuring level crossings in England.

erm.... yeah.

http://www.youtube.com/user/SteveDD1#g/u

Safety calls at Shiplake railway crossing

A railway campaign group is calling for the safety of the Shiplake crossing to be re-assessed after a train hit a car on the track.

The driver had to be cut out of his vehicle but was discharged from hospital the following day after receiving treatment for a broken arm.

The crossing, which has warning lights but no barrier, has a record of near misses and was the scene of a collision in 2006.

There have been 28 reports of dangerous and illegal behaviour on the Shiplake crossing since 2007.

Thames Valley Railfuture says this worrying history highlights the importance of assessing risks and increasing safety at level crossings. The organisation has called for an ongoing system of risk assessments of level crossings to be extended to every crossing in the UK.

Spokesman Hugh Jaeger said: ^Has Network Rail yet applied the national All Level Crossing Risk Model (ALCRM) to the crossing at Shiplake? Thames Valley Railfuture hopes that the ALCRM will continue and will further improve level crossing safety, including a reduction in pedestrian casualties.^

In the latest incident on Thursday, November 16, a 58-year-old Abingdon man was injured after the 6.17pm Henley to Twyford First Great Western train struck his silver Volkswagen Polo as it was pulling into Shiplake station.

Firefighters from Caversham Road station were among the crews called to the scene. Crew manager Doug Buchanan said: ^The train was just coming into the station, fortunately for the driver of the car.^

He said the train hit the driver^s door, trapping the man. Firefighters removed the roof to free the motorist who was taken to Royal Berkshire Hospital.

British Transport Police (BTP) said the train remained upright and no passengers were injured in the incident, which happened at about 6.30pm. The line re-opened at 12.40am next day. BTP spokeswoman Jenny Dickens said officers were investigating the circumstances of the incident and asked anyone with information to call 0800 40 50 40, quoting reference 464 of 17/11/2011.

Network Rail spokeswoman Sam Kelly said: ^There are thousands of level crossings across Britain, all of which are different. Each and every crossing is individually assessed and the appropriate safety measures put in place, which take into account several factors such as the level of traffic, sight lines and the speed of trains. Safety is our number one priority and reviewing safety at level crossings is an ongoing process.^

A catalogue of dangerous and illegal behaviour

Figures released by Network Rail last year showed there had been 28 reports of dangerous and illegal behaviour on the Shiplake crossing since 2007, including five near misses.

Earlier this month, a train had to make an emergency stop to avoid hitting a car crossing the track. The rail operator said motorists and pedestrians regularly took risks by crossing the track when the lights were flashing.

A new set of brighter lights had just been installed after drivers complained the old ones were difficult to see in bright sunlight.

BTP had recently launched a campaign highlighting the dangers of level crossings and officers had been handing out safety leaflets in Shiplake on the day of the crash.

A 22-year-old estate agent escaped uninjured when a train hit the Vauxhall Astra he was driving over the Shiplake crossing in July

BTP had recently launched a campaign highlighting the dangers of level crossings and officers had been handing out safety leaflets in Shiplake on the day of the crash.

Shiplake level crossing crash man charged

An Oxfordshire man has been charged in connection with a incident in which a train collided with a car on a level crossing near Shiplake.

A silver Peugeot collided with the First Great Western Henley to Twyford service on 17 November, injuring a driver who was taken to hospital.

Philip Koomen, 58, of Guildown near Abingdon has been charged with dangerous driving.

He will appear at court on a date to be confirmed in January.

The Henley Standard is reporting that the crossing at Shiplake is to get barrier by the end of the Summer. The corssing has been the scene of many incidents over the last few years so this is a welcome move. Disappointing that NR are having to pick up the bill though as all the collisions have been the fault of motorists and not the railway! Surely road users should have to make some contribution towards the extra safety measures?

Here is the story:

http://www.henleystandard.co.uk/news/news.php?id=37432

Colour-blind driver's miracle escape as train crushes his car when he failed to spot red flashing lights at a level crossing

A colour-blind motorist failed to spot red flashing lights at a level crossing just moments before his car was pushed 30ft along a track by an oncoming train.

The Peugeot car belonging to 59-year-old furniture designer Philip Koomen was crushed and dragged along as the driver of the First Great Western train slammed on the brakes. He broke his arm in the drama.

Koomen said that he had not seen the warning lights as he drove up to the unmanned crossing, which had no barriers and which London Mayor Boris Johnson had highlighted as a safety concern as far back as 2006, when he was MP for the local area.

The shaken driver was hauled from the mangled wreckage after firefighters cut off the car^s roof, driver^s door and boot to allow rescuers to clamber inside.

He was lucky to escape the horror collision with just a fractured arm and none of the 20 passengers on board the train were harmed.

On Thursday he admitted a charge of dangerous driving following the collision close to Shiplake railway station on the outskirts of Henley-on-Thames, South Oxfordshire.

The collision happened just hours after British Transport Police officers had been standing, giving safety advice to motorists as they negotiated the same crossing.

The man^s car was hit by the 18:17 Henley to Twyford service, which was travelling at about 20mph at the time of the impact.

'As he approached the level crossing the light to indicate the train was approaching was on. However Dr Koomen failed to stop and after 37 seconds of the lights flashing he had crossed the level crossing,' said Julian Lynch, prosecuting. 'At the same moment, the train was approaching from Henley-on-Thames and struck Dr Koomen^s vehicle, pulling it ten metres down the track and causing damage to the car, to the train and injuring Dr Koomen.'

It was estimated that the crash had caused more than ^80,000 pounds worth of damage and brought that stretch of the rail network to a standstill.

Some 16 trains were cancelled, four were partly cancelled and more trains were delayed with the track having to be closed for 11 hours while repair work could take place.

Bystanders said they had seen the lights flashing at the crossing as Dr Koomen^s car approached, and thought that the Peugeot 307 would stop, only to hear a loud bang as the train hit the moving vehicle.

Train driver Paul Conduit said he had slowed the train down from 50mph as he approached Shiplake station, but had not seen Koomen^s car as it had been in his blind spot.

'As I was going over the crossing I heard a big bang,' he said in a statement. 'I immediately put on my brakes. I looked out of the window and saw a silver estate car dragged ten to 15 metres.'

In his police interview Koomen, who has a PhD in design, said he had known there was a level crossing in the area and had been expecting to see signage to warn him of the hazard ahead.

He had slowed down to less than 15mph in preparation, and although he had seen a single 'pulsating' light, he did not think this was the warning light on the crossing.

Magistrates sitting in Oxford heard that he was colour bind and had difficulty differentiating between red and amber coloured lights.

'I^m looking for evidence of another light to tell me it^s a warning sign and I continued thinking "^this isn^t a crossroad - it must be further down," he told police in his statement. 'I knew it was about 100 metres to the crossroad. I didn^t know exactly where the crossroad was positioned, I^m looking for evidence that the crossroad is nearby. I^m aware there is no barrier. The next moment there is a crash and I have no awareness I have crossed into a train.'

David Bright, defending, told the court that safety concerns had been raised about the crossing as there had been several near misses in the past decade.

He said that in October 2006 Boris Johnson, then MP for Henley, had raised a question in Parliament calling for it to be made safer.

As well as a lack of safety barriers, Mr Bright said the lights could be obscured by foliage and had been tilted away from oncoming traffic - making them difficult for Koomen to identify in the dark.

'This clearly does not provide a problem for local residents, but for a stranger approaching the crossing from the side Dr Koomen was approaching is hazardous,' he said. He added: 'An angled light appeared to be a pulsating light. He was mistaken. As the court will know, the law is clear: making a mistake is not a defence and he has pleaded guilty.'

Mr Bright said that since Koomen^s crash on November 17, last year, safety barriers had been installed at the crossing.

Presiding magistrate Claire McGlashan said that grey-haried Koomen, of Abingdon in Oxfordshire, had been lucky not to have been killed in the crash.

'You caused major disruption to passenger services for about 12 hours and extensive damage,' she said to bespectacled Koomen, who stood solemnly in the dock, smartly dressed in a shirt and tie. However, no-one else was injured and your action was not deliberate.'

She told Koomen that he would have to pay a ^1,500 pounds fine, as well as ^775 pounds in court costs and a ^15 pounds victim surcharge within the next week.

He was also banned from driving for a year and told that he would have to sit an extended test before being allowed a new licence.

From the Daily Mail (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2186097/Colour-blind-drivers-miracle-escape-train-crushed-car-failed-spot-red-flashing-lights-level-crossing.html):

Er... why is he even allowed to have a licence?

In the past few weeks, the van visited Thatcham level crossing and three drivers are now being prosecuted by the British Transport Police after crossing when the lights were flashing.