Train hit by car Sandy Lane 18/5/2023

[whole diary]

[ray951]

Services are currently suspended between Oxford and Banbury due to a car hitting a train at Sandy Lane level crossing.
https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/23530328.car-hit-train-level-crossing-kidlington-near-oxford/

[bobm]

Car driver reported unhurt.

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) running a train shuttle between Banbury and Tackley with minibuses from there to Oxford.

[PhilWakely]

Without wishing to diminish the seriousness of this incident, I am assuming that it should read 'car hit by train' rather than 'train hit by car'.

[ray951]

That is a very good question and something I did think about.
I have made the assumption (and I should not have done that) that the car should not be on the crossing therefore it is the car's fault and worded the subject to reflect that.

I always think that Car hit by Train makes it sound like the train is at fault when most crossing incidents are the fault of the car driver.

But you are right we do need to be careful with our words and not make assumptions.

[bobm]

The route reopened around midday.

[ChrisB]

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) still reporting delays until 1315

The train invloved was the 0739 OXF^» (Oxford - next trains)-MAN service which was stationary at the crossing for just over 3 hours before being released towards Banbury with all passengers kept well infofmed & looked after by the crew

[bobm]

There has now been a report of a person struck by a train at an adjacent crossing so the line is closed again.

[IndustryInsider]

These AHB crossings are in the process of being closed as part of the latest Oxford Corridor works, so if anything good comes from them it reinforces the NR^» (Network Rail - home page) viewpoint that they should be closed, and objectors might find it harder to justify their position as a result.