A railway line running through your runway?

[ATCO1962]

How many ATC units out there still have an active railway line running through a runway? I know that Gisborne, New Zealand is one of them.

Any more?

[Scott Voigt]

There is one at Fort Worth Alliance airport that they just burried under the runway <G> when they extended the runway.

regards

Scott

[Outlook]

How many ATC units out there still have an active railway line running through a runway? I know that Gisborne, New Zealand is one of them.
Any more?

May a SLF ask a question please? Who gives way to whom?

[rodan]

... and is there a height restriction on aircraft that can fit underneath the power-lines? :}

[ATCO1962]

In Gisborne, there is a lighting control unit that allows the tower controller to halt all trains before they reach about 50m from the edge of the runway. The default is to allow planes the right of way. When a train arrives on the scene(the tower controller gets an aural warning as well as a visual one on the panel) and the ATCO is happy with spacing, s/he allows the train to cross by way of a green signal to the train driver.

It's worked well for the better part of a half century although there was an anecdote told about a red-faced ATCO who forgot, in a quiet moment, to turn the signals back to the planes-have-right-of-way and only caught the impending disaster at the last minute. Result: train had squared off wheels after some emergency braking. Don't know if that's true; perhaps someone could verify?

I think Australia had one of these airports in the past, at least. Is that right?

[chiglet]

Derry in Northern Ireland has a railway [very] close to the threshold
As does Manchester [England], but that is in a cutting. :ok:
watp,iktch

[chevvron]

Ballykelly NI used to have one, but being an Army camp now rather than RAF, they reduced the useable runway length so that the present runway no longer has a railway on it, although the paved surface is still visible.
Trains used to have priority over aircraft (Shackletons mostly when I was there).
Trains are diesel powered, so there's no requirement for catenary's.

[fat'n'grey]

AHhhh, Hamble. The railway line from the oil depot to the Soton - Pompey line. Not across the runway (threshold of 02/stop end of 20) but I do remember a Cherokee driving across it after landing on RWY 20. I rather think the undercarriage stayed on the north side of the railway line. Instructor on board as well....


Oh dear!

[Honey Monster]

When railways cross runways, do the controllers need extra TRAINING?

(My sense of humour hasn't improved in retirement)

Reg Ford

[mutt]

Peshawer - Pakistan. The Pakistan Air Force actually managed to have a collision between a jet trainer and a train.... Not sure which one won :)


Mutt

[chevvron]

Honey Monster should remember Ballykelly - he was there same time as me!

[vector4fun]

There's an old freight spur just west of the runways at El Paso, TX that does cross taxiway A. Don't think it's used much, but used to get a couple train crossings a month years ago.

What I always thought interesting is that you can still see a portion of the old Butterfield Stagecoach road between the runways as it runs by the fire station and dissappears under taxiways J & K. There used to be a sign noting the fact along side those taxiways. You can still trace the road, (a two rut track actually) from the airport for about 30 miles or more to the ENE towards Hueco Tanks and the Cornudas Mountains from the air.

[GBALU53]

Le Touquet (LFAT) did have one but i do not know if it is still active or even there.

Maybe Lydd Air at Lyyd cound answer that question as they operate in Le Touquet from Lydd.

[chevvron]

Come to think of it, wasn't there also one across the apron at Beauvais? Skyways used to run '748's from Lympne (Ashford International - the first one) to interconnect with trains to Paris didn't they?

[revik]

RAF Valley, Anglesey (for the benefit of non-UK readers, located in the far northern reaches of Wales) has the Holyhead - Bangor mainline passing 150m or so from the 19 threshold and a bit further from 22(?). Seem to remember a switch in the tower which could control the railway signals though the old memory is hazy as to whether trains actually had to be stopped with aircraft on approach. :)

[frostbite]

The runway at Southend is extremely adjacent to the main London-Southend rail line.

[Hippy]

RAF Valley, Anglesey (for the benefit of non-UK readers, located in the far northern reaches of Wales) has the Holyhead - Bangor mainline passing 150m or so from the 19 threshold and a bit further from 22(?). Seem to remember a switch in the tower which could control the railway signals though the old memory is hazy as to whether trains actually had to be stopped with aircraft on approach. :)

The trains have priority at Valley. The railway is a good few meters above threshold elevation.
An indication is available in the tower of approaching trains and a warning passed to any aircraft on final, "...caution, train right left." It is the pilots call whether to continue or GA. The tower controller is able to set signals on the track to danger in order to stop trains but only for use should an aircraft foul the line. There is hot-line in the tower to Valley signal box.

[BurglarsDog]

I'll see your railway line and raise you a dual carriageway across the runway. RAF Gibraltar was a laugh a minute!! When an acft was about 10nm final the barriers would be lowered by the TWR controller. On more than one occasion the single aluminium bar dropped down between a trucks cab and trailer - never to be seen again as the truck accelerated to beat the lights!! And for the pedestrians that were a bit slow walking across the runway we used a loudspeaker to put the fear of God into them. Again on more than one occasion I remember a little old lady bursting from a shuffle to a sprint to clear the active as a 737 got to about a mile final. Sadly she was carrying plastic shopping bags weighed down with Safeways finest goodies - or at least she was until the plastic handles broke as she made a dash for it. Despite the obvious FOD hazard left behind the acft still landed. Once the acft had vacated the Runway became a road again and said LOL would return to the centreline to collect what was left of her weekly shop! Sad but true! Those were the days. More fun than Valley - for me at least !!;)





http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/EE/images/uploads/gibraltar_airport.jpg

[topdrop]

Used to be a rail line crossing the runway at Wynyard airport in Australia
http://www.airwaysmuseum.com/WYY%20rail%20crossing%201.htm
http://www.airwaysmuseum.com/WYY%20rail%20crossing%202.htm

There are many links to plane collides with train at Sydney airport. This is one of them
http://www.spiritsofansett.com/history/Niven/trains.htm

[Empty Cruise]

Ballykelly has a trainline running right in front of threshold 27. Or is that Derry??? Doh! :eek:

Empty :O

[JustaFew]

Hamble airfield had the concrete apron and hangar area separated from the
remainder of the airfield by a railway line used by oil companies. Fairly busy,
too, although the airfield hasn't been used for many years.
And yes, trains are harder than planes!!

[NudgingSteel]

Edinburgh airport has a railway line running across the end of runway 24, very close (it's through the approach lights). And to make it more exciting for train passengers, they have elevated the railway line so it's up on an embankment that's got to be 20' above threshold elevation.....!:uhoh:

[Odi]

And of course there is the road going across the undershoot of Rwy 09 at sunny Sumburgh in the Shetland Islands which requires barriers to go down before landing/take off clearance can be given.
When the runway extension is finished the road will cross the runway proper, although nobody has yet worked out what the new procedures will be - rumours of a fly-over are still going strong......
:D :D :D :D :D

[Outlook]

I would love to see some photo's, if possible please????

[chevvron]

When I flew at edinbrgh many years ago, the disused runway (07/25?) was in use. The aforementioned railway line went even closer to the threshold of that one, but you'd always come in a bit high anyway due to the hill just the other side of the railway.

[HeathrowDictator]

Durham Tees Valley has a rail line running not far from the threshold of 23. In an emergency, the Tower has a direct line to the signal box to stop trains but otherwise it has no impact on operations (other than occasionally getting trains showing on the primary radar).

-HD-

[Iron City]

NAS Norfolk Virgina has a main taxiway (from the transient line/operations to the seaplane hangers) crossing the main road through the base. There are traffic lights for the road controlled by the Tower as well as traffic lights for the taxiway. Seems to work, but there is the odd excitement when a automobile in a hurry trys to run the light. Kind of like the day I flew over the special weapons dump after launch.

[Talkdownman]

OK then, anybody remember the codewords 'Grove' and 'Deepdene', when and why they were used, and between whom on a direct line? (I have a hazy memory of using these procedures back in the sixties and would be interested to know if they still exist!)

[Evening Star]

In the Evening Star archives (in other words, cannot put my hand on the relevant document just at the moment!), I have a 'Sectional Appendix' (railway equivalent of SOP) covering Gatwick Airport. Sharp eyed aviators will notice a wire on posts running along the airport side of the railway under the flight path. Should these wires be cut by a low flying aircraft, as the appendix euphemistically puts it as it would have to be bloody low, the process of the aircraft cutting the wire will automatically put all local signals to danger and isolate the traction power.

As for another location, I have a vague recollection of a railway crossing a runway or taxiway in the Bristol area. Will have to check this one up. Filton anybody?