Woman rescues drivers trapped on level crossing ... then pushes cars away

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Daily Mail:

Woman rescues drivers trapped on level crossing... then pushes cars away as train approaches

A woman who risked her life to save two drivers after they crashed on a level crossing as a train was approaching has been awarded one of the UK^▸ (United Kingdom)'s highest national bravery honours.
Courageous Lucy Gale, 31, rescued pensioner Mary Schneider who was lying across her steering wheel and Kelvin Brook who frantically trying to get out of his vehicle after the crash in Pontefract, West Yorkshire.
In an incredible show of strength and bravery, Ms Gale then pushed their cars off the tracks in order to prevent a catastrophe when an oncoming train roared past.
The desperate life-and-death struggle has now won Ms Gale a rarely awarded Royal Humane Society Silver medal which has been personally approved by the Society's president, Princess Alexandra.
In addition to the medal she is to receive Lucy also won the personal praise of the Society's secretary, Dick Wilkinson for her heroic feat.
As he announced the award at the Society's London headquarters he said: 'This was truly a matter of life and death.'
Ms Gale was approaching the level crossing 300 metres from Hensall Railway Station when she noticed the crash on May 27 last year.
The crossing gate was unable to close fully as one car was obstructing it, and there was a goods train visible, approaching on the down line.
The woman, who after saving the drivers then averted a devastating accident by pushing one car out of the way of a speeding train with seconds to spare
She is to receive a rarely awarded Royal Humane Society Silver medal after her bravery impressed the Society's president, Princess Alexandra, the Queen's cousin.
Without hesitation or fear for her own safety, Ms Gale crossed the down line on foot, removed the woman from her car and took her to safety.
Then she then went back and forced the other drivers damaged door to let him out, before pushing the vehicle off the crossing just as the train passed by, narrowly missing them both.
The signal operator in the nearby box had seen the accident and signalled to the driver, who had put the emergency brakes on, but the train did not come to a complete halt until it was past the station.
It still had such momentum as it sped past Ms Gale that, had it struck the car and become derailed, there could have been a serious accident involving the stationary train waiting at the station.
The awards organisers said that without a doubt, Ms Gale's selfless bravery saved two lives but that it was impossible to tell how many more might have been lost had she not acted.
They said that the silver medal is a rare accolade - but one truly deserved by the 'remarkable woman'.
The award has been made on the recommendation of British Transport Police and a date for its presentation has yet to be announced.

[devon_metro]

Doesn't look like the sort of location where trains "roar past"

[LiskeardRich]

Doesn't look like the sort of location where trains "roar past"

and despite that they "roar past" this lady had time to get people out of their cars and then push the cars out the way, despite the train already being in sight!

[Brucey]

Will the RAIB^▸ (Rail Accident Investigation Branch) be publishing a report regarding this?  If so, I would imagine it would provide for much less emotional reading.

I also don't think "courageous" and "brave" are the correct words to be used here.

[eightf48544]

From what it says I assumme this was at Snaith and Pontefrat highway AHB-X.

It mentions the barrier didn't lower properly because it hit one of the cars.

Don't drivers get an indication as they approach an AHB that the barriers are down?

If they don't get the indication then they should stop.

Presummably the trigger point and indicatorshould be sited far enough away from the crossing to cater for the speed/stopping distance of the trains using the line.

If it was the one at Hensall station which is under the control of the signalman in Hensall box then surely he couldn't have pulled his signals if the barrier wasn't down.

Or has this highlighted yet another anomaly in the interlocking at LCs^▸ (Level Crossing) extra to the  one was found at Moreton on Lugg.

As a diversion we went from Staines to York on Saturday, out ECML^▸ (East Coast Main Line) back Doncaster Lincoln, Sleaford  (We did the Southbound avoiding line!) and Spalding. The number of LCs was amazing as was how many were actually still manned by gate keepers. Plus we stopped quite long queues of traffic at many of tehm.

[broadgage]

AFAIK^▸ ('as far as I know'), the correct functioning of the level crossing equipment is signalled to the train driver by a flashing white light. If this light is not shown, then the train driver is to approach the crossing very cautiously, such that they may stop if the crossing is obstructed.
I dont believe that the white flashing light proves the crossing to be unobstructed, I think that it only proves that the red lights warning road traffic are lit, and that the barriers have been "told" to lower. AFAIK there is no interlock that proves the barriers are fully down.
Such an interlock would be of limited use since it would NOT detect fully lowered barriers with a vehicle between them, neither would it detect barriers that have been rammed by road vehicles and broken off.