Warning as drivers seen queuing on level crossing near Willington

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

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Drivers have been warned not to queue on a railway level crossing near a south Derbyshire village.

Network Rail said vehicles had been seen "idling on the track" in recent weeks at the Etwall Road crossing in Willington.

Train services were disrupted after a car was struck by a train there on 28 November. Network Rail said no injuries were report and an investigation was under way.

Temporary warning signs to drivers have been set up in Etwall Road, Derbyshire Police said.

A vehicle was struck by a barrier on 1 December, Network Rail added.

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Dan Matthews, Network Rail operations director, said: "Level crossings are there to keep everyone safe, but they can be extremely dangerous if used incorrectly. The trend we've seen recently at Willington, with drivers ignoring mandatary signage, is very worrying and could have tragic consequences. It's imperative that motorists remain alert, comply with the signage and make sure the exit is clear before moving on to a crossing. It's important to be patient, and it's never worth the risk just to move a few metres further forward."

Insp Robert Drysdale, of British Transport Police, said: "I urge drivers to take extra caution and care at the Willington level crossing. You might think you're saving time, but you could be putting yourself and others in serious danger. Level crossings can be incredibly dangerous and if warning signs are ignored or missed, the consequences could potentially be catastrophic."

[Timmer]

Drivers who misuse railway level crossings really need their license taken away from them.

[Chris from Nailsea]

With the wording of the footer in my Coffee Shop forum profile, Timmer, you won't find me disagreeing with that. 

[Electric train]

I cannot see evidence of a red light enforcement camera, where these have been installed they have reduce if not eliminated incidents of car hitting trains (I have put it as cars hitting trains as trains have right of way)

Although the crossing in this thread the cars are obstructing the crossing when the lights are not operating, however the use of red light enforcement cameras would drastically reduce the obstruction of the crossing as would improved "Do not obstruct the crossing" signage

[stuving]

Repainting the yellow box would help too - it also reinforces the "do not stop here" message. I know there has been a problem finding paint that sticks to the polymer road panels well enough to withstand wear from traffic, though the newer stuff does seem to work better.

Of course making the panels with a yellow box moulded in would be best for durability. However, while the pattern is fixed, the skew of the railway to the road is not. But I would not rule out making the panels customised just for one crossing - it's the kind of manufacturing cleverness that can be cost-effective these days.