July 2007

Railway Crossings.

The gremlins struck and my previous comment got overwritten (the backup is 120km away)

The thrust of my augument is I fail see why rail companies, (in the case of NZ, On Track maintain the lines and Toll Holdings the rolling stock) cannot devise a better way of warning motorists of trains approaching a rail crossing. If there are bells and lights, they are within metres of the crossing and on the open road not particularly distinct in bright sunlight.

My suggestion is that they erect LED flashing signs a distances from the crossing which would be activated by the existing warning circuitry. Recently 40km flashing signs have been installed near schools which are activated at specific times. These stand out very well at a distance and could be modified for rail use. Motorists would then be forewarned well in advance of an impending collision if they failed to heed these signs. Such a solution will hardly break the bank costwise.

TC