• Re: Level crossing collision

    From Matthew Geier@matthew@sleeper.apana.org.au to aus.rail on Sun Mar 25 13:43:52 2018
    From Newsgroup: aus.rail


    I watched more motorist yesterday who obviously had no idea what a pair of flashing red lights around a big X labelled 'railway crossing' means.
    Again our stop - wait - proceed method of operation meant no near misses, but it's obvious there is poor understanding by many motorists what the signal means.
    Earlier in the week, I was talking to someone who works in the north coast control room at Broadmeadow for NR. He commented they get several reports a DAY from train crews saying people have ignored the lights and drive across too close to the trains for the comfort of the crew. These reports even come with crossing with barriers - several times a week people drive AROUND the lowered barrier!
    The crews are aware of this behaviour and rarely do they get into a position to have to emergency brake and turn it into an officially reportable incident. It's the vigilance and skill of the train crew that is preventing this from being worse. (Who then probably get written up for late running caused by the cautious approach to level crossings).
    Sounds to me it's time the NSW traffic police started issuing infringement notices based on the CCTV that many of these crossings now have. The threat of a horrible death by being mangled by the front of a railway locomotive isn't enough to stop people.
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  • From johnsuth@johnsuth@nospam.com.au to aus.rail on Mon Mar 26 21:44:00 2018
    From Newsgroup: aus.rail

    In <ecb5744e-a589-41d1-87a1-94db68439af1@googlegroups.com>, Matthew Geier <matthew@sleeper.apana.org.au> writes:


    I watched more motorist yesterday who obviously had no idea what a pair of = >flashing red lights around a big X labelled 'railway crossing' means.
    Again our stop - wait - proceed method of operation meant no near misses, b= >ut it's obvious there is poor understanding by many motorists what the sign= >al means.

    Earlier in the week, I was talking to someone who works in the north coast = >control room at Broadmeadow for NR. He commented they get several reports a=
    DAY from train crews saying people have ignored the lights and drive acros=
    s too close to the trains for the comfort of the crew. These reports even c= >ome with crossing with barriers - several times a week people drive AROUND = >the lowered barrier!
    The crews are aware of this behaviour and rarely do they get into a positio= >n to have to emergency brake and turn it into an officially reportable inci= >dent. It's the vigilance and skill of the train crew that is preventing thi= >s from being worse. (Who then probably get written up for late running caus= >ed by the cautious approach to level crossings).



    Sounds to me it's time the NSW traffic police started issuing infringement = >notices based on the CCTV that many of these crossings now have. The threat=
    of a horrible death by being mangled by the front of a railway locomotive =
    isn't enough to stop people.


    Before prescribing solutions, tell us how common is the situation of the boom gate trigger being sited before a light signal which can stop the train, seemingly forever, before it reaches the boom gate. This can create disrespect
    for boom gates.

    What about fake news stories on facebook of level crossing crashes, showing pictures of mangled bodies?


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  • From Marcus Potter@marcuspotter02@gmail.com to aus.rail on Fri Oct 25 08:50:30 2019
    From Newsgroup: aus.rail

    On Tuesday, 27 March 2018 21:23:22 UTC+1, john...@nospam.com.au wrote:
    In <ecb5744e-a589-41d1-87a1-94db68439af1@googlegroups.com>, Matthew Geier <matthew@sleeper.apana.org.au> writes:


    I watched more motorist yesterday who obviously had no idea what a pair of = >flashing red lights around a big X labelled 'railway crossing' means.
    Again our stop - wait - proceed method of operation meant no near misses, b= >ut it's obvious there is poor understanding by many motorists what the sign= >al means.

    Earlier in the week, I was talking to someone who works in the north coast = >control room at Broadmeadow for NR. He commented they get several reports a=
    DAY from train crews saying people have ignored the lights and drive acros=
    s too close to the trains for the comfort of the crew. These reports even c= >ome with crossing with barriers - several times a week people drive AROUND = >the lowered barrier!
    The crews are aware of this behaviour and rarely do they get into a positio= >n to have to emergency brake and turn it into an officially reportable inci= >dent. It's the vigilance and skill of the train crew that is preventing thi= >s from being worse. (Who then probably get written up for late running caus= >ed by the cautious approach to level crossings).



    Sounds to me it's time the NSW traffic police started issuing infringement = >notices based on the CCTV that many of these crossings now have. The threat=
    of a horrible death by being mangled by the front of a railway locomotive =
    isn't enough to stop people.


    Before prescribing solutions, tell us how common is the situation of the boom
    gate trigger being sited before a light signal which can stop the train, seemingly forever, before it reaches the boom gate. This can create disrespect
    for boom gates.

    What about fake news stories on facebook of level crossing crashes, showing pictures of mangled bodies?

    The boom gate trigger needs to be before the signal for safety reasons, you can't give the train a proceed aspect when the line ahead is potentially obstructed by road traffic.
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  • From johnsuth@johnsuth@nospam.com.au to aus.rail on Mon Nov 4 04:28:33 2019
    From Newsgroup: aus.rail

    In <cd6b7fa7-905b-424b-95fb-4c6b0f124123@googlegroups.com>, Marcus Potter <marcuspotter02@gmail.com> writes:
    On Tuesday, 27 March 2018 21:23:22 UTC+1, john...@nospam.com.au wrote:
    In <ecb5744e-a589-41d1-87a1-94db68439af1@googlegroups.com>, Matthew Geier <matthew@sleeper.apana.org.au> writes:


    I watched more motorist yesterday who obviously had no idea what a pair of =
    flashing red lights around a big X labelled 'railway crossing' means.
    Again our stop - wait - proceed method of operation meant no near misses, b=
    ut it's obvious there is poor understanding by many motorists what the sign=
    al means.

    Earlier in the week, I was talking to someone who works in the north coast =
    control room at Broadmeadow for NR. He commented they get several reports a=
    DAY from train crews saying people have ignored the lights and drive acros=
    s too close to the trains for the comfort of the crew. These reports even c=
    ome with crossing with barriers - several times a week people drive AROUND =
    the lowered barrier!
    The crews are aware of this behaviour and rarely do they get into a positio=
    n to have to emergency brake and turn it into an officially reportable inci=
    dent. It's the vigilance and skill of the train crew that is preventing thi=
    s from being worse. (Who then probably get written up for late running caus=
    ed by the cautious approach to level crossings).



    Sounds to me it's time the NSW traffic police started issuing infringement =
    notices based on the CCTV that many of these crossings now have. The threat=
    of a horrible death by being mangled by the front of a railway locomotive =
    isn't enough to stop people.


    Before prescribing solutions, tell us how common is the situation of the boom
    gate trigger being sited before a light signal which can stop the train,
    seemingly forever, before it reaches the boom gate. This can create disrespect
    for boom gates.

    The boom gate trigger needs to be before the signal for safety reasons, you can't give the train a proceed aspect when the line ahead is potentially obstructed by road traffic.

    Yes, but occaisonally the gate is triggered then the signal stops the train, seemingly forever, when it is not in sight of the boom gate. No wonder people disrespect boom gates.

    Coordinating the signal and the gate should not be a difficult job.


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  • From Marcus Potter@potter4564@gmail.com to aus.rail on Fri May 29 14:06:06 2020
    From Newsgroup: aus.rail

    On Tuesday, November 5, 2019 at 5:09:41 AM UTC, john...@nospam.com.au wrote:
    In <cd6b7fa7-905b-424b-95fb-4c6b0f124123@googlegroups.com>, Marcus Potter <marcuspotter02@gmail.com> writes:
    On Tuesday, 27 March 2018 21:23:22 UTC+1, john...@nospam.com.au wrote:
    In <ecb5744e-a589-41d1-87a1-94db68439af1@googlegroups.com>, Matthew Geier <matthew@sleeper.apana.org.au> writes:


    I watched more motorist yesterday who obviously had no idea what a pair of =
    flashing red lights around a big X labelled 'railway crossing' means.
    Again our stop - wait - proceed method of operation meant no near misses, b=
    ut it's obvious there is poor understanding by many motorists what the sign=
    al means.

    Earlier in the week, I was talking to someone who works in the north coast =
    control room at Broadmeadow for NR. He commented they get several reports a=
    DAY from train crews saying people have ignored the lights and drive acros=
    s too close to the trains for the comfort of the crew. These reports even c=
    ome with crossing with barriers - several times a week people drive AROUND =
    the lowered barrier!
    The crews are aware of this behaviour and rarely do they get into a positio=
    n to have to emergency brake and turn it into an officially reportable inci=
    dent. It's the vigilance and skill of the train crew that is preventing thi=
    s from being worse. (Who then probably get written up for late running caus=
    ed by the cautious approach to level crossings).



    Sounds to me it's time the NSW traffic police started issuing infringement =
    notices based on the CCTV that many of these crossings now have. The threat=
    of a horrible death by being mangled by the front of a railway locomotive =
    isn't enough to stop people.


    Before prescribing solutions, tell us how common is the situation of the boom
    gate trigger being sited before a light signal which can stop the train, >> seemingly forever, before it reaches the boom gate. This can create disrespect
    for boom gates.

    The boom gate trigger needs to be before the signal for safety reasons, you can't give the train a proceed aspect when the line ahead is potentially obstructed by road traffic.

    Yes, but occaisonally the gate is triggered then the signal stops the train, seemingly forever, when it is not in sight of the boom gate. No wonder people
    disrespect boom gates.

    Coordinating the signal and the gate should not be a difficult job.

    Agreed.
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