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Different types of crossing
Crossings are not all the same.
Some crossings have barriers, some have gates, some are open, however, they all require the same careful and cautious approach.
While accidents at railway crossings are rare, the consequences are severe - look at the picture on the right to see what happened when a truck met a train - imagine what would happen to a car!
Half barrier
If you come across a half-barrier crossing like the one shown below – that is, a crossing where the barriers block off each side of the road separately – you must stay on your own side of the road. Never try to zig-zag around the barriers; the train will be very near.
At this type of crossing the train triggers the lights and barriers approximately 30 seconds before its arrival - this leaves very little room for mistakes.
Full barrier
Full barriers sometimes operate in the same way as half barriers, but the close off the whole of the road. At other crossings there will be automatic gates that go across the whole of the road. These crossing have quite a few different formats but all require you to follow the basic rules of stopping when the lights show.
There are still a few crossings with manual gates or gates that are opened and closed by an attendant. If you come across an unattended crossing with gates there will be a warning sign and instructions. Follow the instructions carefully, ensuring that the line is totally clear before driving across.
No barrier
On some very quiet roads or tracks, you will fins rail crossings with no gates or barriers, usually with no lights or warning sirens either. These crossings call for extreme caution.
You will need to be sure that the line is clear before driving across. This might entail getting out of the car to look up and down the line if the view is restricted.
The basic rule at these crossings is STOP, LOOK and LISTEN.
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