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Occupational crossings - prototypical procedure

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Occupational crossings - prototypical procedure 13/07/2017 at 03:09 #96356
MikeW
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Just seeking information from the real-life signallers on the forum, if I may.

As an example, let's say that a farmer has rung up wanting to cross with a heavy vehicle, but the pattern of traffic is such that there is no suitable break for 30 minutes or more. Would the usual procedure be to say 'Sorry, no can do at the moment. Is there anything else agricultural you can do for a while?' or would the signaller aim to get him across even at the risk of delaying a train? Is there a general NR policy or is it left to local discretion?

Very grateful for any insights
Mike

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Occupational crossings - prototypical procedure 13/07/2017 at 21:02 #96368
Mikehax
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MikeW in post 96356 said:
Just seeking information from the real-life signallers on the forum, if I may.

As an example, let's say that a farmer has rung up wanting to cross with a heavy vehicle, but the pattern of traffic is such that there is no suitable break for 30 minutes or more. Would the usual procedure be to say 'Sorry, no can do at the moment. Is there anything else agricultural you can do for a while?' or would the signaller aim to get him across even at the risk of delaying a train? Is there a general NR policy or is it left to local discretion?

Very grateful for any insights
Mike
In my area trains always have priority. At my previous box due to the timetable having gone to pot, I once had a farmer with a herd of cows waiting for almost 60 minutes to find a suitable 4 minute margin that he was requesting.

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Occupational crossings - prototypical procedure 14/07/2017 at 18:01 #96384
Steamer
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3913 posts
Mikehax in post 96368 said:
MikeW in post 96356 said:
Just seeking information from the real-life signallers on the forum, if I may.

As an example, let's say that a farmer has rung up wanting to cross with a heavy vehicle, but the pattern of traffic is such that there is no suitable break for 30 minutes or more. Would the usual procedure be to say 'Sorry, no can do at the moment. Is there anything else agricultural you can do for a while?' or would the signaller aim to get him across even at the risk of delaying a train? Is there a general NR policy or is it left to local discretion?

Very grateful for any insights
Mike
In my area trains always have priority. At my previous box due to the timetable having gone to pot, I once had a farmer with a herd of cows waiting for almost 60 minutes to find a suitable 4 minute margin that he was requesting.
Out of interest, does there come a point where it's worth delaying a train to mitigate the risk of the farmer ignoring you and crossing anyway, or not bothering to ask next time? Granted it's more likely to be an issue if the farmer's driving a vehicle rather than crossing with livestock.

"Don't stress/ relax/ let life roll off your backs./ Except for death and paying taxes/ everything in life.../ is only for now." (Avenue Q)
Last edited: 14/07/2017 at 18:01 by Steamer
Reason: None given

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Occupational crossings - prototypical procedure 14/07/2017 at 20:26 #96386
Colourlight
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If I was to delay a train in order to allow a member of the public to cross the railway at a user worked crossing, my manager would not be Impressed. If there is insufficient time to safely use the crossing then the road user is told that there is a train approaching and that he/she should phone back after it has gone past or another similar appropriate response,
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Occupational crossings - prototypical procedure 14/07/2017 at 21:36 #96388
Dick
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Do you seriously think that an hour is an acceptable time for a member of public to have to wait to cross for the sake of delaying a train a couple of minutes? No wonder Joe Public jump crossings.
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Occupational crossings - prototypical procedure 15/07/2017 at 04:54 #96389
Ar88
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Dick in post 96388 said:
Do you seriously think that an hour is an acceptable time for a member of public to have to wait to cross for the sake of delaying a train a couple of minutes? No wonder Joe Public jump crossings.
There's a few minutes for a member of the public, then there's 10-20minutes for a herd of cows.....

The Welsh contingent. Aron, or Ar to mates. Also known as 88E or ThatManCalledAr.
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Occupational crossings - prototypical procedure 16/07/2017 at 00:38 #96405
MrBitsy
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Dick in post 96388 said:
Do you seriously think that an hour is an acceptable time for a member of public to have to wait to cross for the sake of delaying a train a couple of minutes? No wonder Joe Public jump crossings.
It is safe to cross when it is safe to cross - trains are not delayed.

TVSC Link 4 signaller - Temple Meads, Bath & Stoke Gifford
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Occupational crossings - prototypical procedure 11/09/2017 at 01:57 #101705
Essexgirl
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You delay one train 2 minutes, that train misses its booked path across a junction, thus delaying another train a couple of minutes, which then delays something else, etc, your original 2 minute delay could easily snowball into a lot bigger delay, as multiple delays would be traced back to the initial delay at the crossing
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Occupational crossings - prototypical procedure 11/09/2017 at 09:36 #101710
Giantray
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Dick in post 96388 said:
Do you seriously think that an hour is an acceptable time for a member of public to have to wait to cross for the sake of delaying a train a couple of minutes? No wonder Joe Public jump crossings.
It is an acceptable time. If it is unsafe to cross, it is unsafe. If the member of Public or Farmer then decides to risk their own lives and lives of others they are idiots when someone in authority has told them it is unsafe to cross.

Retired Professional Railwayman (1981-2023); Pway & S&T (1981-88); Former Signalman/Signaller/ Signalling Trainer (1989-2023) [AB, TCB, Mechanical, NX, WestCad, Hitachi SARS]; Railway Historian (esp.SER, LCDR); Member of The Permanent Way Institution..
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Occupational crossings - prototypical procedure 11/09/2017 at 12:22 #101715
Dick
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You are totally missing the point of my post. I don't disagree that if it is unsafe to cross it is unsafe to cross. What I was saying it that it is unacceptable to be unsafe to cross for an hour when it could be made safe to cross for the sake of a (possible) very slight delay to rail traffic. It is the hour's wait that encourages Joe Public into unsafe practices.
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Occupational crossings - prototypical procedure 11/09/2017 at 13:03 #101717
vloris
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Of course, delaying one train 2 minutes at one crossing is not a problem.

Unfortunately if you delay a train 2 minutes at point X, it misses its path across a junction at point Y, and will have to wait 20 minutes or delay three more trains.

The railway network has no room to just "delay one train 2 minutes". It always has consequences further along the line, usually resulting in more and longer delays to more trains.

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Occupational crossings - prototypical procedure 11/09/2017 at 14:42 #101718
postal
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vloris in post 101717 said:
The railway network has no room to just "delay one train 2 minutes". It always has consequences further along the line, usually resulting in more and longer delays to more trains.
Could start an interesting debate if there are pathing or engineering allowances in the TT before the next point at which there could be a conflict. Having lived in the real world for a lot of years I am wary of words like always and never.

“In life, there is always someone out there, who won’t like you, for whatever reason, don’t let the insecurities in their lives affect yours.” – Rashida Rowe
Last edited: 11/09/2017 at 15:09 by postal
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