Near tragedy in Level Crossing

[Guest]

Not on the Broads, but not far away, and there are plenty of level crossings around Broadland,

 

A very lucky lady, and the train driver was saved from a terrible incident, though he'll probably get just as many nightmares from the experience...

 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-24364332

 

 

[mbird]

Flippin eck, she was lucky! Stupid woman!

 

I do wonder why she went back the other way afterwards though, maybe there was a pub nearby for a stiff drink (or a Specsavers)

[ranworthbreeze]

There was an incident I think last year where the photograph showed the person jumping the barrier where their shoe was knocked off by the train.

All very stupid I totally agree.

[Jim]

All very stupid and happens all too often all over the UK.  Maxine was waiting at a crossing near Stanstead Abbotts marina earlier this year when a car flew by on the wrong side of the road and dodged the remaning two booms before they had fully lowered and nearly collided with a car coming the other way.  Reg number and details were reported to Herts police but we never found out if they traced the driver. This woman needs a hearing aid as well as specs Mark!

 

For anyone that hates level crossings, avoid the huge one at Helpston to the north west of Peterborough.  Barriers up and down very often and you have to cross two tracks of the line going off to the midlands and four tracks of the East Coast Main Line.  It's very easy to get stuck in the "no mans land" between the two sets of tracks ....not for the faint hearted as I'm sure Buffalo Bill will confirm!!

[Guest]

......For anyone that hates level crossings, avoid the huge one at Helpston to the north west of Peterborough.  Barriers up and down very often and you have to cross two tracks of the line going off to the midlands and four tracks of the East Coast Main Line.  It's very easy to get stuck in the "no mans land" between the two sets of tracks ....not for the faint hearted as I'm sure Buffalo Bill will confirm!!

 

Bl**dy Hell !!

 

It's at an acute angle too, I hope I never have to go across that....   

[Jim]

To be honest I avoid it like the plague these days.  I did read somewhere that it is classed as being considered dangerous compared with other crossings because of its length.

 

Watching the trains to Newcastle fly by your car at over 100 mph is not fun at all even though they can't hit you!    

[Jim]

Here is a link to an article about Helpston.  I don't think I would run the risk but clearly, others are prepared to   

 

http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/local/cameras-could-be-installed-at-helpston-level-crossing-1-133518

[mickfreakley]

A really stupid thing to do but not surprising to see cyclists not observing the signs, how many do we all see completely ignoring red traffic lights? She is a very lucky stupid girl.

[MauriceMynah]

This is another "Blood Boiler" for me"  ... (puts tin hat on and starts to rant)

I am in no doubt that should the worst have happened, there would have been an outcry about how dangerous these crossings are, and how things must change to make them safer, possibly leading to railtrack being fined for negligence.

If people are incapable of doing what they are told (like stopping at a red light) they should be punished, and punished severely.  That train driver will be having nightmares for months because of that woman's stupidity and, lets face it, selfishness.  

"Why shouldn't I cross when I want to?" and "Who are they to tell me to wait?"

I can ruddy well hear her thinking it !!!!!!!!!

Personally I'd like to see a four figure fine for actions like that or 6 months inside, Whatever it takes to get cyclists to obey the law.

Sorry my views are so very strong on this, but not without VERY strong reasons! 

[ranworthbreeze]

Hi JTF,

I can understand your frustation everyone knows that all cyclists work for or are in charge of city planning or highways departments!!

Only joking

Regards

Alan

[littlesprite]

I think it's all been said!

[Jim]

Can't agree more JTF.  You may have even driven through between Widford and Much Hadham when those temporary traffic lights were there a few years back until they repaired the damaged culvert.  A white van and myself were waiting at red when two cyclists from a club in Hoddesdon just shot through the red light.  Van driver sounds his horn and cyclists turn and give him a couple of victory hand signals. 

 

Shortly after, the lights changed and white van man went off in hot pursuit.  When I caught up with them he had stopped them both and had them by the scruff of their necks lol.  He was a big fella too so after that, I'll bet they won't do that again in a hurry!!

[Liberty]

Just extraordinary. How many have to die before people get the message. Human v train; train wins every time.

[Boaters]

Seems the police went to town to track ,no pun intended, her down. And took to the Station ,maybe gave her a set of train times, Seriouslly she needs to realise what a fool she was.Did you see the way she wiped her forehead. .? Shock or what ?

http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/video_woman_cyclist_in_near_miss_as_norwich_to_cambridge_train_roared_through_fen_station_comes_forward_to_police_1_2848332

[MauriceMynah]

On a level crossing not far from here, two 16ish year old schoolgirls were killed because they crossed the line after the barriers were down. There was outrage that there were no special gates that would lock automatically stopping people going through. The probability that the girls were not paying attention to the track and that they crossed when the traffic barriers were down was largely, no, totally ignored. Railtrack were heavily fined. 

 

A schoolgirl was killed near Bishops Stortford when she crossed the line at an official pedestrian crossing point. It was established that she was listening to her I-Pod (or whatever they're called these days) and didn't hear the train. It was largely, no, totally ignored that she didn't look either. A bridge will now have to be built there.

 

Three young lives lost and all because they didn't follow the most basic of rules. Look before you cross!   

 

These gut wrenching tragedies could each have been simply avoided if even just a speck of self discipline had been instilled into these children. But who can possibly teach children to be careful when ADULT cyclists wipe their brow because, by luck, they just avoided death from their stupidity.

 

Whoops, another rant. Sorry.

[mbird]

In Lingwood we have two level crossings for the Norwich to Yarmouth line. Both are manned full time with proper wooden gates, and even the pedestrian gates are locked. If more level crossings still had people manning them these tragedies wouldn't happen.

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[easyrider]

Going slightly off topic here but I am a cyclist and I obey the rules of the road and also don't like to see other cyclists jumping red lights but please don't paint all cyclists with the same brush. As a cyclist i have noticed dangerous actions being taken by motorists and pedestrians alike. I have been cut up many times when coming to a junction and cars have overtaken me and then turned left forcing me to brake hard or even go into the pavement, why can't they just wait a few minutes. The other thing that really annoys me is when there is a dedicated cycle path on the pavement why do people walk along that instead of the normal pavement. So you see it's not just cyclists who are at fault but other road/pavement users as well. Rant over.

p.s. I totally agree that the cyclist involved in the rail crossing incident was being absolutely stupid and is very lucky to be alive

[ranworthbreeze]

Hi Jim,

I agree all road users should be aware of what is going on around them, this however is seldom the case, people park all over the place usually with no thought of how other traffic can see around their vehicals.

The worse culprits are people taking their children to school on the school run, they park at junctions or on pavements and create a bigger danger to other children than the safety they provide to their own children.

When in a supermarket I look at the way people operate their shopping trolleys and most of these people will have driven to the supermarket, it makes you think.

My rank over, we all have them!

Regards

Alan