Train hits car on level crossing in Berkshire - BBC News (06/03/2010)

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

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

A car has been hit by a train on a level crossing in Berkshire, police have said.

Thames Valley Police officers are at the scene of the incident in Waterloo Road, Wokingham.

No-one on the train is believed to have been injured although there is at least one casualty in the car but their condition is not yet known.

Both level crossings in the town are closed and buses are currently replacing train services.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Update, from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Driver dies in level crossing crash in Wokingham

A car driver died when the vehicle was hit by a train on a level crossing.
None of the 150 passengers or the train driver were injured in the crash at the crossing in Waterloo Road, Wokingham, Berkshire, at about 1100 GMT.
The car driver was pronounced dead at the scene. His death is not being treated as suspicious.
Both crossings in the town have been shut and there is disruption to services between Ascot and Reading, British Transport Police said.
It comes almost two years after a woman died when she was hit by a train on the same crossing. The death was not treated as suspicious.
Buses are currently replacing train services in the area.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Update, from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Wokingham level crossing safety fears

Residents are expected to raise safety concerns at a meeting with councillors after a driver died when his car was hit by a train on a level crossing.
None of the 150 passengers or the train driver were injured in the crash at the crossing in Waterloo Road, Wokingham, Berkshire, on Saturday morning.
A meeting over housing is scheduled for Monday but residents are now likely to also raise concerns about the crossing.
A woman died when she was hit by a train at the same spot in 2008.
Both recent deaths at the crossing are not being treated as suspicious.
Councillor Angus Ross, from Wokingham Borough Council, said: "I'm sure as a result of this we will be working with Network Rail, which is responsible for the track, to see if anything can be done. The trouble is it is something very hard to ever stop completely. We already had a meeting arranged with residents so I'm sure this will also be discussed."
The area is in line for a major housing development which, if approved, would see the crossing removed and a bridge built in its place.

[Mookiemoo]

Is it likely to be open again by tomorrow morning?

[JayMac]

Re-opened last night.

[devon_metro]

If residents are concerned then I propose closing the crossing.

"Use it [correctly] or lose it"

[Phil]

If it's the one right outside the station, I don't think residents have a lot of choice but to use it, whether they are "concerned" or not. It separates the majority of Wokingham's residents from the town centre. A bridge should quite frankly have been built years ago.

[Brucey]

Is this one of those crossings where the barrier only covers half the road (or does it cover both directions?)

[IndustryInsider]

If it's the one right outside the station, I don't think residents have a lot of choice but to use it, whether they are "concerned" or not. It separates the majority of Wokingham's residents from the town centre.

Is this one of those crossings where the barrier only covers half the road (or does it cover both directions?)

It wasn't the one outside the station, it was the Waterloo Road AHB (Automatic Half Barrier) crossing about 1.5 miles from Wokingham station after the junction - which is why the First Great Western service from Reading to Guildford could still operate.  Two South West Trains electric units were left stranded in Reading 4A and 4B with FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s services making calls at intermediate stations to Wokingham.

It's a fairly quiet road on the outskirts of Wokingham which could fairly easily be diverted around.  Another to add to the long list of AHB barrier incidents though...

[Mookiemoo]

The waterloo road crossing is I think the one after the waterloo line splits from the gatwick line.

The problem with it, and I see it every morning on my bike, is that traffic going INTO wokingham ends up queuing on the crossing.  There are usually parked cars restricting road width and the is a popular left  turn and right turn not long after the crossing.  Have often wondered why no one gets trapped between the barriers when they queue sitting ON the crossing

[Mookiemoo]

It's a fairly quiet road on the outskirts of Wokingham which could fairly easily be diverted around.  Another to add to the long list of AHB barrier incidents though...

It is NOT a quiet road!  It used as a rat run for people coming up from camberley and that direction to avoid bracknell and the queues on the 322

[Super Guard]

The waterloo road crossing is I think the one after the waterloo line splits from the gatwick line.

The problem with it, and I see it every morning on my bike, is that traffic going INTO wokingham ends up queuing on the crossing.  There are usually parked cars restricting road width and the is a popular left  turn and right turn not long after the crossing.  Have often wondered why no one gets trapped between the barriers when they queue sitting ON the crossing

I may be wrong but AHB crossings do not have CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision), so I would expect it is incredibly dangerous for vehicles to queue on the crossing as they would have no way of stopping a train in-time - I doubt someone using the phone equipment provided would be able to stop a train at speed either.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Highway Code:

Level crossings
291
A level crossing is where a road crosses a railway or tramway line. Approach and cross it with care. Never drive onto a crossing until the road is clear on the other side and do not get too close to the car in front. Never stop or park on, or near, a crossing.

[IndustryInsider]

The waterloo road crossing is I think the one after the waterloo line splits from the gatwick line.

The problem with it, and I see it every morning on my bike, is that traffic going INTO wokingham ends up queuing on the crossing.  There are usually parked cars restricting road width and the is a popular left  turn and right turn not long after the crossing.  Have often wondered why no one gets trapped between the barriers when they queue sitting ON the crossing

It is NOT a quiet road!  It used as a rat run for people coming up from camberley and that direction to avoid bracknell and the queues on the 322

I think you're talking about the Easthampstead Road crossing which is the first crossing after the junction and is a CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) full barrier crossing controlled from Wokingham Signalbox (I think).  The next crossing along (where the accident was) is the AHB crossing on Waterloo Road operated by trains activating treadles on the track - that is a much quieter road especially when compared to the other two level crossings at Wokingham (hence it being a AHB rather than CCTV or other non-automaic full-barrier crossing), although perhaps describing it as 'quiet' was wrong.

[Mookiemoo]

I stand corrected - I didnt realise there was a third - since someone on this thread referred to the two crossings in the town.

And I knew of the station and the easthamsptead road one!