train crash (UK)

[Craig.]

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,3 ... 00,00.html
lets hope the rest of the passengers are ok

[flyboy 28]

Oof...

[Saitek]

I know - I have been watching it.  :(
I've been on that track I think a number of times, at any rate I' been to London Paddington from Oxford, like thousands of people, quite a number of times. Sad. They said they think it might be deliberate - a guy trying to commit suicide in his car.  >:( I hope those who survived continue to do so.

[Hagar]

I'm sorry but this says it all to me.

Keith Lumley, a Network Rail spokesman, said the accident happened at an automatic level crossing with half barriers on each side of the road.

I never trusted these half-barriers since they were first introduced many years ago. To my way of thinking they should never have been allowed on a main railway line in the first place. This is apparently a fast section of track & these trains can travel at anything up to 125 mph. I was reading only the other day that faster trains are being introduced.

This could never have happened with the old-fashioned manned crossing gates in use before then. What surprises me is not that the accident happened but that there aren't more of them. So much for safe public transport in this country.

I have strong feelings about this as my Dad was a railwayman.

[Saitek]

7 people have died so far....

[Delta_]

I live near Reading, and i know that train is the London to Plymouth.  That is a packed train going at speeds over 100mph because it is all high speed track around there.  Why someone felt the need to commit suicide and kill and injure others i don't know.

Edit: i just read the link in the first post and it says it is the London Plymouth train...

[Hagar]

I haven't seen any reports on TV about this but I've heard a few comments on the radio. I thnk the suicide theory is only one possiblility. Nobody really knows what happened yet apart from the fact the train collided with a car. The half barrier crossing must take the major part of the blame. This isn't the first time a similar incident has happened & it won't be the last. Those unmanned half-barrier crossings are an accident waiting to happen. The double-barrier type are safer but there's nothing to stop anyone driving (or walking) along the railway track when they're open. Just why anyone in their right mind would replace the old-fashioned crossing gates with these abominations is beyond my comprehension.

[C]

Why on earth we still have level crossings on main express lines is beyond me...

Charlie

[Hagar]

Why on earth we still have level crossings on main express lines is beyond me...

Charlie

As always it's a matter of cost. There's nothing wrong with level crossings providing they're of the correct type. You're not old enough to remember the traditional level crossing gates I'm talking about. These had been used safely for many years, since the earliest days of the railways. They were far safer than the contraptions they use nowadays, especially those half-barriers. If the old-style crossing gates had still been in use today this accident could never have happened as it would be impossible for the gates to close with a car on the crossing. Even in the old days before the modern technology we have now this would have kept the signal at red & warned the driver to stop the train in good time.

Not only that but when the crossing is open to road traffic it's impossible to drive onto the railway track by mistake. I don't see why the present vertically-opening barriers couldn't be modified to open horizontally like the old crossing gates. Surely this would solve the problem with very liitle expense. A simple relay could be connected with the signal lights to indicate when they're properly closed.

[Craig.]

I think the problem is the sheer number of crossings. One guy said there were litterally thousands of these crossings in the UK

[Hagar]

It will obviously take time to convert them all, much as it did when some bright spark decided to replace the old crossing gates. I never understood the reason behind this & forget who is to blame. I wouldn't mind betting the name Beeching is involved somewhere. The logical step would be to start with the ones on main high-speed lines. I believe there are considerably less than 500.

[C]

You're not old enough to remember the traditional level crossing gates I'm talking about. These had been used safely for many years, since the earliest days of the railways. They were far safer than the contraptions they use nowadays, especially those half-barriers. If the old-style crossing gates had still been in use today this accident could never have happened as it would be impossible for the gates to close with a car on the crossing.

We still have them up in Lincolnshire. Metheringham station has a set of them and I think there are a couple of others too, although they are minor lines...

Charlie

[4_Series_Scania]

The suicide theory seems most likely, however, a few years back, I stalled a car on a level crossing, very scary for a few moments, and not a train in sight.

Thankfully, I got it going and off I went. I find it hard to believe this chap stayed in his car even as the train got closer but for any other reason than suicide.

In this technical wonder age we live in, I find it astounding that a small car can de-rail a 500+ ton train!!

My thoughts with the dead & wounded.

[Saitek]

Yeah same I agree. We have had a number of train-car related instances over the years.