Castle Cary Station's barrow crossing

[whole diary]

[Eliza]

We plan to travel from Taunton to Dorchester, changing at Castle Cary, as that will give us the quickest journey.  My husband uses a wheelchair, although he can walk, so are the station staff, who will know of our arrival, likely to take us across the track via the barrow crossing? Should I be delighted by this novelty or scared witless, having read of the near miss at the level crossing at Thorney Marsh Lane?

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safety-digest-022017-thorney-marsh-lane/

We intend travelling on a Friday (the 09.21 departure from Taunton), when Castle Cary Station is manned.

[grahame]

Hi, Eliza

The barrow crossing at Chippenham was used for many MANY years without (to my knowledge) incident, and I've not heard of any incidents at Castle Cary or other barrow crossings in modern times.  There have been incidents at "occupation" crossings - including the one you mention at Thorney Marsh, but those are very different crossings indeed.

With a barrow crossing, you have two sets of professional staff involved - the signal person on the phone, and fully safety trained rail staff there physically with you too, whereas with an occupation crossing it's only the signalman on the phone - a much greater risk, and even there problems are mercifully rare.   In fact so rare that the make press headlines and merit a full enquiry when they happen to see if even those few can be reduced to none.

Be delighted at the novelty - it's going to be much safer to cross the railway at the barrow crossing than it would be to cross a road.

[Eliza]

Thanks, Grahame, for your explanation that a signalman gives the all clear to use a station (barrow) crossing, and that it's not just left to the platform staff to decide.  I'll put best foot forward, if we are offered that option.

[grahame]

How long does the crossing at Castle Cary take?

Yorkshire Coast Radio tells us 20 minutes at Bridlington!

People who use Bridlington railway station are being warned not to get caught out by a new rule.
Anyone travelling towards Scarborough who can't walk over the footbridge needs to be there 20 minutes before the train leaves.
It's to allow enough time to be escorted over a crossing safely instead.

[brompton rail]

I believe that the Scarborough platform at Bridlington station is a slight walk from the normally used terminating platforms (most Brid trains are terminators from Sheffield/Hull). In addition, as the line from Bridlington to Scarborough is single track, trains arrive from Hull and wait several minutes for the southbound service from Scarborough to arrive. That means that when staff might want to transport a passenger to the Scarborough bound platform (the only one at Brid without level access) both those platform lines are occupied by trains. I don't know if there is a rule prohibiting use of the barrow crossing whilst there is a train in section, but I can see that might be good practice.