The Anonymous Widower

I Wonder If This Happens In Europe

This article from Rail News entitled Level crossing upgrade hits deadlock is priceless. This is the first couple of paragraphs.

A bid to upgrade the gates at a ‘high risk’ level crossing in Sussex has fallen foul of planning laws, and Network Rail has written a letter of apology to local residents who have been protesting that the road across the railway has now been closed for several weeks.

The gates at Plumpton between Burgess Hill and Lewes are of the traditional pattern, and controlled from the box alongside. But Network Rail said that “despite its local popularity and heritage, independent risk assessments had identified that the level crossing posed a high safety risk, as well as being increasingly difficult to operate and maintain”.

They now need to be replaced with modern lifting barriers which could in future be controlled by the new Rail Operating Centre at Three Bridges. The upgrade is costing £2 million.

This all sounds straightforward.

But it isn’t as Lewes Council has refused planning permission on heritage grounds.

The lawyers must be loving this one, as it will obviously run and run.

But as it’s a high risk crossing, surely this crossing should be closed before a serious accident happens.

Remember, I used to live in East Anglia and every few months or so, there was a news story about a serious level crossing accident.

Network Rail should be tasked to get rid of them all as soon as possible, so more tragedies like Elsenham and Ufton Nervet never happen again.

I suppose they could always close the East Coastway Line and run Rail Replacement Buses instead.

I wonder if other countries in Europe handle this sort of problem better!

October 12, 2015 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Level Crossing, Sussex, Trains