Car in collision with train on Welshpool & LLR

reported on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/groups/206770956730138/permalink/233465890727311/

 

A report here, glad nobody hurt.
http://www.mywelshpool.co.uk/viewerheadline/ArticleId/14698

Steve B

 

Please note that whoever started this thread should change the title. The train did not hit the car, the car was in collision with the train. The difference is very important.

Andrew Charman
Press officer, W&LLR

 

In fairness the BBC mid wales page headline says " Heritage railway train hit car" quoting the Shropshire Star.

 

But, the initial post was culled from that place well known for accuracy i.e. Facebook!

 

It looks very much to me as if the car entered the crossing and the train hit it, otherwise the car would have been swept aside if it hit the side of the train. Saying a train hits a car on a level crossing is not saying in any way that the train was to blame.The signage is quite clear, road traffic should give way.

 

the initial report came from "North Powys Community Travel Alerts". I don't think you should be slandering them

 

The comments on Facebook are quite 'blunt'

I am inclined to await the RAIB report

 

I remember 10-15 years ago I had the great privilege to get a foot plate permit on the Earl a full return trip on the line, a truly great experience. From that position you can fully grasp the roller coaster profile of the line.
When approaching the crossing where the railway have steep grades from both directions (Coppice Lane?), a car passed the crossing at full speed right in front of us. Not a very close, but the driver had absolutely no idea how close the train (continuously whistling) was from the crossing.

 

I don't read Facebook. Your initial post quoted Facebook so there is no question of slandering someone I never heard of.
I note the thread title is still unchanged, as requested.

 

https://www.shropshirestar.com/news...tage-railway-train-hit-car-on-level-crossing/

The pictures are interesting

 

The Facebook quote:

“12pm, 5th April - Cyfronydd A458 minor road turning / linking to B4385. RTA car and light railway, police in attendance. Road closed.”

Seems fair enough to me. No speculation as to who hit who. Leave that kind of debate to the media or members of Nat Pres

 

I agree with @johnofwessex, we should wait for the RAIB report rather than speculate.

 

I like the way they blurred the car's number plate on the first photo, but not on the second.

 

Did you not notice the job title of the poster? Whilst it is not unknown for PR people to bend the truth I think we can be sure in this instance that the poster would be very factual.

 

Of course I did, and as Press Officer his comment would naturally be biased in favour of ‘his’ railway. That’s why I said wait for the RAIB report.

 

I read that prior to 2012 the fireman used to stop traffic with a red flag before the train crossed but that practice was prohibited by the ORR because of the risk to him and instead said the train should just whistle as a warning before crossing at low speed. (source Wales Online 2012)

 

trains have right of way, end of.

 

The trouble is that the ORR will likely not so much be apportioning blame as looking how to prevent a recurrence which might end up costing the railway money.

 

also in the news recently was the anniversary of the nuclear flask test where a Class 46 was staged to collide with a road vehicle. Quite clearly the road vehcile in that instance would be deemed at fault (were it real) but also it's quite clear that the Class 46 hit it. The tragic accident (for real) with a Class 81 and a generator on a Wynn's Transporter would be another example.