Ufton Nervet crossing, (shh... we're pretending nothing happened) Options

[spartacus]

I see that the crash victim has been named.....
Newbury Today link

Not going to speculate on what might have happened as the thread will be deleted, but from the link it says that as well as the 2004 tragedy the Ufton crossing has been the scene of 'several other deaths'..... Is that true? or are we referring to deaths going back to the mists of time and including every horse and cart that might have been hit since the 1840s.........

The Ufton Nervert level crossing was the scene of a crash in 2004 which resulted in the death of seven people when a train derailed after hitting a car parked across the line.

It has also been the scene of several other deaths and near misses in recent years.

[Biker1]

I see that the crash victim has been named.....
Newbury Today link

Not going to speculate on what might have happened as the thread will be deleted, but from the link it says that as well as the 2004 tragedy the Ufton crossing has been the scene of 'several other deaths'..... Is that true? or are we referring to deaths going back to the mists of time and including every horse and cart that might have been hit since the 1840s.........

In addition to the crash in 2004 and yesterday there was a suicide there a few years ago.
Apart from that I do not know of any others (in recent history anyway).
There are "near misses" all over the rail network nearly every day.

[dannyboy]

In addition to the crash in 2004 and yesterday there was a suicide there a few years ago.
Apart from that I do not know of any others (in recent history anyway).
There are "near misses" all over the rail network nearly every day.

Wasn't the 2004 crash a suicide?

[Biker1]

Wasn't the 2004 crash a suicide?

Apparently so as the inquest determined.

[andy1979uk]

Apparently so as the inquest determined.

Yes, the selfish idtiot parked his van there and waited for a train. Shame he did'nt survive and have to face the families of the people who died on the train.

[Roger T]

Selfish?
Oh dear. I feel this is going to get off-track very quickly.

[Biker1]

Best if we all leave it there I think?

[Roger T]

Okay, I agree.

:-)
Permission to ramble?

[Andy Capp]

Yes, the selfish idtiot parked his van there and waited for a train. Shame he did'nt survive and have to face the families of the people who died on the train.

I'd say it was a shame he didn't have a change of heart.

[Jayjay]

I don't understand why they use half barriers on any level crossing. They should be full barriers across the network.

[andy1979uk]

I'd say it was a shame he didn't have a change of heart.

Don't agree with that, if people are selfish enough to commit suicide leave them too it. Although he should have done it in a way that did not harm others.

[Andy Capp]

Don't agree with that, if people are selfish enough to commit suicide leave them too it. Although he should have done it in a way that did not harm others.

Suicide nearly always harms someone else. Someone who does such a thing is not usually in a rational state of mind, so to accuse of selfishness is missing the point; if not ignorant of what mental illness is.

Going back to my point: you would wish bad things; I would wish good things.

[Biker1]

I don't understand why they use half barriers on any level crossing. They should be full barriers across the network.

They use half barriers on automatic crossing because there is no human observation to see if anyone is trapped on the crossing.
If someone was trapped on full barriers there would be no escape route.
The half barrier allows an escape route although, most unfortunately, not for this poor individual in this instance.

[Penelope]

Suicide nearly always harms someone else. Someone who does such a thing is not usually in a rational state of mind, so to accuse of selfishness is missing the point; if not ignorant of what mental illness is.

Going back to my point: you would wish bad things; I would wish good things.

Well said.

[blackdog]

They use half barriers on automatic crossing because there is no human observation to see if anyone is trapped on the crossing.
If someone was trapped on full barriers there would be no escape route.
The half barrier allows an escape route although, most unfortunately, not for this poor individual in this instance.

That's a fair point - but you don't need half barriers on both sides to provide an escape route. Of course what they really need is automatic rising bollards .

[JeffG]

In my experience, the amber light changes to flashing red before the barriers go down, and well before the train arrives.

[Biker1]

That's a fair point - but you don't need half barriers on both sides to provide an escape route.

Yes you do as you need an escape for both directions of travel.

[Biker1]

In my experience, the amber light changes to flashing red before the barriers go down, and well before the train arrives.

Correct, but some foolhardy folks choose to ignore them and chance it.
Sometimes they lose.

[blackdog]

Yes you do as you need an escape for both directions of travel.

Why? Cars come with forward and reverse gears.

[Biker1]

Why? Cars come with forward and reverse gears.

You enter the crossing, the barrier behind you comes down, the barrier in front of you comes down, you have a train approaching at 100mph - where do you go? you can neither go forward or reverse and a 8 point turn to reach the single open barrier on the opposite side may take some time!