Three dead in level crossing collision at Halkirk, Caithness - discussion

[whole diary]

[Tim]

What IS the best way to reach people?

I think that the best action may be to remove the driving licences from those who misuse crossings.

As to what NR^» (Network Rail - home page) can do, they already have their comendable "don't run teh risk" campaign. 

Should they install barriers at crossings like the one at Halkirk?  If people don't observe the lights (and of course we don't know if lights were ignored at Halkirk yet) perhaps they should.  Maybe there are low cost alternatives to barriers that could be considered
(I'm thinking of teh kind of barriers and bollards that are used to control access to car parks and presumably can be purcahsed off the shelf fairly cheaply)

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Rail crossing crash victims named

Three people killed in a collision between their car and a train at a railway level crossing have been named by British Transport Police.

Angus MacKay and his wife Margaret, both 81, from Inverness, and Mr MacKay's brother Donald, 66, of Latheron, died in Tuesday's accident. It happened at an unmanned, gate-free level crossing in Halkirk, Caithness.

The Scottish transport minister is to meet rail bosses to see if crossing safety measures need to be improved.

Angus MacKay had been driving the Nissan Almera when it was struck by the train, with his brother in the front passenger seat and Mrs MacKay in the back.

Angus and Margaret MacKay's son, also Donald, said: "We will always remember them and they will always be in our hearts and they will be deeply missed."

Police said there did not appear to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding their deaths.

The victims' names were released just hours after MSPs^▸ (Member of Scottish Parliament) were told that Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson would hold talks with Network Rail on the issue.

The Liberal Democrats urged ministers to ensure action was taken urgently.

The accident, on Bridge Street in Halkirk, has already prompted a local politician to call for the installation of safety barriers at a cost of about ^1m each.

The type of crossing at the crash scene, which uses flashing lights to warn of an approaching train, is common across rural Scotland.

During question time at Holyrood, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Tavish Scott urged the transport minister to pull together all the various groups involved in rail safety. He said: "Is it not time to cut through the morass of rail bureaucracy that gets in the way? Network Rail have risk assessors, the local highway authority has responsibility, as does Transport Scotland, the rail regulator, the rail inspectorate, the Health and Safety Executive, the police and even the Scottish Law Commission."

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, standing in for Alex Salmond, welcomed Mr Scott's suggestion. She added that Mr Stevenson would explore with Network Rail "whether there are further improvements they can and should be making" at crossings where there had been serious accidents. She pointed out rail safety was reserved to Westminster, but added: "I'm sure there is not a single person in this chamber who doesn't want to make sure we're doing everything possible to minimise for the future the chance of such an appalling accident happening again."

Investigations into the Caithness accident are continuing.

[JayMac]

Yet again the subject of safety at level crossings is laid firmly at the door of the rail industry, with just a passing mention of the local highway authority in this story.

If there is a safety problem with the way car drivers or pedestrians use a particular crossing then that problem should be addressed and funded from the local road transport budget.

Level crossings are not inherently dangerous, the worst that can be said is that they are an operational inconvenience. I'm not aware of any rail accidents at level crossings where a road vehicle or pedestrian wasn't involved.

If local people want barriers at this crossing then funding for them should come from local budgets, not from Network Rail.

[Mookiemoo]

You see I prefer it when those killed this way are teenagers - at least they take themselves out of the gene pool before they (hopefully) have a chance to reproduce.

In this case, the dodderies have already passed on their lack of common sense.

1. Level crossings are signposted
2. Trains are great big things that move along those rails at the crossing - even is you miss the signpost, for the love of god you should be able to see the tracks and if you cant your eyesight is clearly not up to being in control of a vehicle
3. If you are on top of the train tracks before you see them, you are driving too fast for the road.
4. Trains have lots of momentum, dont stop easy and if they hit you, you will come off worse
5. slow down on approach and check there isnt a bleddy train coming before proceeding - even if it is a barriered crossing (just in case) and especially if you are on a minor road in the middle of bleddy no where

I am one of the most kamikaze drivers around when running late but, even at the onibury crossing on the A49, I always follow the above - I dont want to become lubricant for some trains wheels.

[JayMac]

In this case, the dodderies have already passed on their lack of common sense.

I refer you to my earlier post about pre-judging the investigation and inquest into the collision.

Whilst foul play has apparently been ruled out by the police, that still leaves many other possible reasons for the collision. Just because one reason ("lack of common sense") seems the most plausible, it doesn't mean it's right. That's why we have investigations and inquests.

[Tim]

[quote author=bignosemac link=topic=5409.msg51548#msg51548 date=1254419418

If local people want barriers at this crossing then funding for them should come from local budgets, not from Network Rail.
[/quote]

I agree in principle, but remember that the rail industry does have a legal and moral responsibility to passengers and crew who can be injured by level crossing misuse (even if serious injury is rare to those onboard a train, it is not unknown and you shouldn't forget the mental injury these accidents can cause especially to train drivers involved).   

Ideally NR^» (Network Rail - home page) should have the power to close dangerous crossings for the cost of a couple of signs and padlocks, and then the buck passes ro the highway authority to replace them with a bridge if they want the road reopened. 

[Tim]

See

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/8286164.stm

for an interesting new development.  A NR^» (Network Rail - home page) employee (who is nothing to do with crossings) staying that ungated scottish crossings are dangerous.

Me thinks either: 1) he is right and the crossings are dangerous, or 2) he is wrong and his driving is dangerous.

Either way NR ought to do something - sort out the dangerous crossing or give this man a job that doesn't involve him driving round the country. 

Also a suggestion that the lights don't flash if batteries are dead?  surely the crossing should be more failsafe than that (trains cautioned until batteries fixed or staff get to the scene?

[Chris from Nailsea]

With the benefit of hindsight, I should have started a new topic, when I posted here about the RAIB^▸ (Rail Accident Investigation Branch) report on the Wraysholme level crossing incident.

To correct this, I have now split this topic, and that other discussion is now at http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=5503.0

Sorry.  Chris 

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Trains 'could slow' for crossings

Train drivers are being advised by their union to reduce speeds at railway level crossings following the deaths of three people at a site in Caithness. The executive of railway workers' union Aslef has agreed to urge member to slow to 20mph and called for all Scotland's crossing to have barriers.

Angus MacKay and his wife Margaret and Mr MacKay's brother Donald were killed in an accident last month. Their car was hit by a train at a gate-free level crossing in Halkirk.

Funerals for the couple, who were both 81 and from Inverness, and 66-year-old Mr Mackay, of Latheron, were held in Wick last week.

Ahead of the national executive's meeting on the issue, Aslef's Scottish organiser Kevin Lindsay said the crash had been the "catalyst" for the discussions on lowering speeds at crossings. He said: "Drivers who are involved in these horrific incidents have to live with the consequences for the rest of their days. There should be no more deaths on Scotland's railways at these level crossings. We are looking to reduce the risk of that."

ScotRail said it was waiting for the outcome of the meeting with interest. A spokesman said the railway company worked with all its industry partners to ensure the safety of customers and staff.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch's preliminary examination at Halkirk has indicated the warning lights at the crossing were working and the train was driven correctly.

However, it has decided to widen its inquiry to include not just what happened at Halkirk but to review the general risk posed by unmanned, gate-free crossings.

It said open automatic crossings of the kind used at Halkirk made up just 2% of Network Rail's total level crossings. But in the past 10 years, 31% of level crossing collisions have taken place at them.

The widening of the inquiry has been welcomed by Highlands and Islands SNP MSP^▸ (Member of Scottish Parliament) Dave Thompson. He said the high number of collisions on this type of crossing indicated something was not right with their design.

The union meeting also comes in the wake of four people - one a bus driver - being accused of failing to comply with railway level crossings signals during a British Transport Police operation. Police said the driver of a local passenger service would be reported to the procurator fiscal in connection with the offence at Cleghorn level crossing in Lanarkshire. Two other motorists will also be served with notices after allegedly failing to stop at the same crossing.

In another incident, a 56-year-old man will be reported to the procurator fiscal for not following the proper procedures at Charleston level crossing in Perthshire.

[Chris from Nailsea]

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch have now published their full report on this sad incident, on their website:

Summary

On 29 September 2009 a collision occurred between a train and a car at the level crossing, at Halkirk, Caithness, resulting in fatal injuries to the three occupants of the car. There were no injuries to anybody on the train which was not derailed.

The most likely cause was that the car driver did not see and react to the flashing road traffic light signals because his eyesight was sub-standard.

An underlying factor was that Network Rail did not properly understand the risk at Halkirk level crossing because it had not taken the previous accident record into account. Had it done so, the level of risk might have justified more costly risk reduction measures, and risk reduction measures that had been identified might have been implemented more quickly and before the accident occurred.

The RAIB^▸ (Rail Accident Investigation Branch) has made six recommendations to Network Rail which include the risk assessment of the level crossing and the maintenance of the backboards of the road traffic light signals.

[JayMac]

May I just point out that I obviously got the date wrong in the title of the OP^▸ (Original Poster / topic starter). 

I've changed it in the original post to 2009, but I'm not going to edit all subsequent posts.

[Chris from Nailsea]

No: sorry, that was me - a momentary inattention to detail, updating the headings.  I've corrected them all now.

CfN. 

[JayMac]

From ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about):

Union slams Halkirk crossing report

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB^▸ (Rail Accident Investigation Branch)) has released its report into a fatal accident at Halkirk level crossing, Caithness, on 29 September 2009- and ASLEF has reacted angrily to it finding that ^Network Rail did not properly understand the risk at Halkirk crossing and had not taken the previous accident record into account^.

^This amounts to irresponsibility verging on the criminal, and ignorance bordering on the insane,^ Keith Norman, general secretary of train driver's union ASLEF said. ^It baffles me that anyone associated with the industry can fail to recognise the risks involved at level crossings, where one person a month has died for decades. Level crossings kill. Unmanned ones kill regularly. What is there not to understand?^

He added that, ^Every time there is an accident on an unmanned level crossing ^a deeply distasteful game of pass-the-parcel of guilt begins^.

^This report recommends a risk assessment of the crossing. I can save them a lot of trouble. They are all inherently unsafe. That is why we advise our members to slow down their trains when they approach them.

^What really maddens me is that we know the solutions: they are tunnels, bridges and in-cab technology to enable a driver to look further up the track than the eye can see.

^They are all available. But no one will put up the money to stop the carnage.^

[John R]

NR^» (Network Rail - home page) have announced that following a trial of a new cheaper half barrier system, 23 open crossings in Scotland are going to be converted to AHB. Apparently the new design has brought the cost down from 500k per installation to around 100k, so much more economic.

A couple of questions - firstly why is this particularly a Scottish issue? Surely there are numerous open crossings elsewhere, although it appears more emotive north of the border, possibly because of a couple of high profile incidents.

Secondly, does this offer an opportunity to improve cost effective journey times on rural lines which are subject to heavy speed restrictions at open crossings? I'm particularly thinking of a recent trip on the Central Wales line where there appeared to be quite a few such crossings, but would it have any benefit for some of the south west branches? I would imagine each crossing could knock up to a minute off journey times.     

[JayMac]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Network Rail to upgrade open Scottish level crossings

All railway level crossings in Scotland are to get safety barriers, Network Rail have confirmed.

It follows the successful completion of a pilot scheme testing new mini barriers at a level crossing in Ardrossan in Ayrshire.

The first places to get them are all in the Highlands. They are Corpach, Brora, Kirkton and Dalchalm.

There are 23 open level crossings in Scotland, most of them in the Highlands.

Network Rail also said that a half-length barrier would be put in place at Halkirk in Caithness.

^4m Upgrade

It was the scene of a crash between a car and a train that killed three elderly members of the same family in September 2009.

Network rail is to spend ^4m on upgrading the crossings and expects to have completed the improvements by 2014.

The new barriers can be installed for about ^100,000 a crossing, compared to an average of more than ^500,000 under the old system.

David Simpson, Network Rail route managing director for Scotland, said: "The trial of this new system on single line railway at Ardrossan has been a fantastic success. We have developed and successfully tested an affordable, innovative system that will improve the safety of open level crossings."

Dave Thompson, SNP MSP^▸ (Member of Scottish Parliament) for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, has been a vocal supporter of the new system.
Welcome announcement

He said: "I was delighted to see the successful completion of the new AOCL^▸ (Automatic Open Crossing (Locally monitored) A level crossing without barriers that is observed by the train crew before they proceed over the crossing)+B level crossing system at Ardrossan. I welcome the announcement that four Highland crossings will now be upgraded forthwith. These four barrier implementations on open Highland crossings are the initial first tranche of a roll-out to all the open crossings that remain in the Highlands."

He called the move a "major step forward" in road and rail safety.

Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment, Alex Neil, said: "Railway safety, including at level crossings, remains reserved to Westminster. However, to demonstrate our commitment, the Scottish government earlier this year announced an additional ^10m fund to help facilitate the closure of level crossings and I will continue to liaise with Network Rail on these issues."