The Railway was there, and the law making them sound a horn was introduced in 1970's, but they only just started implementing it in November 2003.
We have three foot crossings (no bridge or gates) within 180 metres. The horn is required to be 120 decibels 5 metres from the trackside, and above 60 decibels 400 metres from the train.
Now ONE hoot at the 1st crossing would be heard at ALL THREE, by LAW, but these jokers hoot TWICE at ALL THREE crossings, despite somebody telling me live on Radio Cumbria (April 2004) that they would tell the drivers to hoot just the once!!
Ironically, the horn is SO loud, it reverberates off the hills and houses, and it is impossible to tell which direction the train is coming from, or how far away it is! Despite the trains run to a timetable, the most obvious safety measure - posting a timetable up next to the crossing - completely escapes them, as does making one crossing serve ALL THREE footpaths, and linking them with a trackside path!
The best scheme yet, is that one of the crossings, presently accessed up a steep slope, then accross fields to a farm yard, is due to be made wheelchair friendly!!!!
I propose we all hoot our horns, everytime we cross a road junction or crossing, which is not controlled by lights, from 6.10 am, until 10.30 pm, and see how long it is before we get locked up!!
Weekend busses replace trains at present, and are fine, and less expensive to run, and DONT have to sound a horn at every road crossing between Windermere and Oxenholme!
There is plenty of width on the track route, to put in place a dedicated coach road, with cycle and footpath, with gentler gradients and great scenery.
W = whistle - the rules date back to the steam age!!!!
Track infrastucture costs thousands of pounds to maintain each year. A minimum of 4 men work on the line somewhere each day.
Most track repairs are carried out at night for safety reasons, and to minimise disruption. However, the line is walked and checked routinely, and all trees and shrubs cut back to reduce leaves on the line. Signalling has to be checked and tested too.
<<<<<<<<< NO NEED!!! >>>>>>>>>