Roads/Railways crossing the undershoot -Protected by traffic lights?

[parabellum]

I'm only gathering names of airports in Australia/SE Asia where a road goes through the undershoot close enough to cause concern about the ILS signal/landing distance available and where traffic lights are installed to halt road traffic, also, who operates the lights? Is it ATC or the airport authority?

Nothing sinister in this, no media involvement, no authority, no politicians etc. just a study that I have been asked if I can help with.

Any suggestions will be much appreciated, thanks.

[Tankengine]

Interesting study.:ok:

I know of a nasty prang in Hungary last year where the installed lights were not activated.:(

[henry crun]

Ohakea runway 15; has flashing lights and bells operated by the tower.

[UnderneathTheRadar]

Wynard had a railway line crossing the runway - until they shortened the runway.

Train used to set off flashing lights which told pilots it was unsafe to land.

In Derry (Londonderry) in Northern Island, I worked on a project to put up railway signals to be controlled by ATC as the wheels of an arriving jet just touched a train passing the threshold of the main runway!

[OverRun]

parabellum,

My curiosity was aroused by this, and I did a PPRUNE search on "traffic lights" without the inverted commas, with quite a few results which may be fertile ground for you. For example this one (http://www.pprune.org/airlines-airports-routes/259154-southend-2-a-25.html#post6779264).

Please let us know what you find, as it is something that could well be of benefit to others.

OverRun :)

[c100driver]

For New Zealand

Dunedin Runway 21 road crossing,
Christchurch 11 road end
Gisbourne rail road through runway

[Cookie7]

Gisborne (NZ)
Malta
Gibraltar

Unsure if these are what you're specifically after.

[LeadSled]

Not quite SE Asia, more like NW, but have look at Peshawar, a main line right across the runway. We avoided straight in approaches like the poison, didn't give us chance to have a good look around for choochoos -- NO traffic lights, and no "rule" as to whether trains or planes (in our case PIA B707) had right of way.

I guess inshallah was the official policy.


Tootle pip!!

[SOPS]

Corfu has police to stop traffic (and lights as well I think)

[Tinstaafl]

Not Asia Pacific, but Sumburgh in Shetland, UK has them.

[RedhillPhil]

Again not Asia but in the early seventies I was a freight Guard based at Cambridge. We used to take trains to and from St. Ives (Hunts) and on the Monday we would sign out of the ticket office £1 in 10p pieces. This was to telephone the control tower at Oakington to let them know that we would be chugging along the line.

[43Inches]

Wynyard Airport Rail Crossing (http://www.airwaysmuseum.com/WYY%20rail%20crossing%201.htm)

This has some information regarding the rail crossing at Wynyard when it was operational.

A further link at the bottom of the page takes you to a description of how the signals were operated.

[Brian Abraham]

18 June 1950 Ansett DC-3 VH-BZK derailed five empty trucks of a coal train returning from Bunnerong power station which was crossing runway 22 at Mascot with ATC approval. DC-3 was taxing for departure at speed after a runway change at night.

Train Meets PLane (http://www.spiritsofansett.com/history/Niven/trains.htm)

[LeadSled]

Brian,
Same era, a Qantas Lanc. or Liberator actually hit a train close to what is no the Qantas Catering Centre, can anybody remember the details, or dig them up.
As I remember, it was one of the aircraft used to carry spare Connie engines around the world.
Into the early '70's there were traffic lights, operated from the tower, on the road that ran along the west side of Biggin Hill, UK, the ends of several runways were VERY close to the road.
Tootle pip!!

[greybeard]

Antwerp in Belgium for both landings and take-off.

:ok:

[waren9]

Takaka, NZ RWY36 has a road (and also a powerline?) to cross just before the threshold. Not much clearance beneath when a logging truck rumbles underneath.

Long time ago now. Maybe someone with a fresher memory might be able to add/correct.

[parabellum]

Thanks everybody, much appreciated.

Results:

Christchurch (NZ) - NZCH R/W 11, Lights/ATC

Gisbourne (NZ) - NZGS R/W 32, Lights/ATC

Dunedin (NZ) - NZDN R/W 21, Lights/ATC.

Bournemouth, (UK) R/W 08, Lights/ATC

Belfast - Aldergrove, (UK) R/W 17, Lights/ATC

Warton/Woodford, (UK) Lights/ATC

Liverpool, (UK), R/W 27, Lights/ATC

Waddington, (UK-Military), Lights/ATC

Cambeltown, (UK - EGEC, R/W 29, Lights/ATC.

Shannon, (Ireland), Used to be on R/W 31, R/W now closed.

Farnborough, (UK), Used to be R/W 18, no longer in use.

Bristol - Lulsgate, (UK) Road was re-routed and 'sunk' at a cost of millions, it was a main North/South arterial, previously Lights/ATC.

and all those mentioned in the posts on this thread, thanks again.

[Brian Abraham]

LeadSled, researched the Lancastrian extensively a few years ago and not heard of your story, be interesting if anyone comes up with details. Reports say this particular aircraft was written off in a landing accident 17 Nov 1951, without further elaboration, most say at Mascot, but one report gives Bankstown. Pic of the Connie engine carrier.

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m56/babraham227/lancastrian2.jpg

[lamax]

For a relatively short period around the late 60s traffic lights were installed on General Homes Drive aligned with Sydney's RWY 25 threshold, presumably to protect vehicular traffic from jet blast.

[CharlieLimaX-Ray]

The Launceston 32 ILS crosses the railway line at Western Junction. Does the tower and rail operater liase over train movements during ILS ops?

Cambridge airport had lights to stop traffic on the Tasman highway for arrivals onto runway 32, PLovett may have better knowledge on that subject.

Runway 23 at Wynyard, now that was a bit of good sport in the old Heron with a gale force south westerly wind.

Why did they shorten the length of 05/23?

[dhavillandpilot]

What about Gibraltar, traffic lights, boom gates and pedestrians all trying to dodge the easyjet and ryanair flights.

One of the best aerodromes you can fly into

[OverRun]

It looks like parabellum might have started this thread with a view to a problem in Australia. As a general comment on safety issues in Australia, there are new Work Health & Safety Bills coming in 2012/2013 which will force a change in the Australian approach to safety analysis.

It will extend from analytically based (like the rest of the world) to include a "common law" basis and Justice Gibbs' famous dictum on negligence. As a result, the familiar ALARP, target levels of risk or safety and/or supporting Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) can no longer stand up on their own when something Goes Wrong and matters go to court - where post event common law scrutiny will be applied.

For those of you in the risk / liability / safety business in the Antipodes, there is a "Risk and Liability Management" course, run for Engineers Australia, by Richard Robinson of R2A. I have just finished attending it in Perth. I and most of the attendees were surprised at the extent of the change that the new Work Health & Safety Bills will bring. I'm suggesting here that if you're in the risk / liability / safety business, you look at the course. It is being run at least through 2012 at various locations.

On a positive note, more weight will be put on considering existing good practice, so this thread is a great start.

[parabellum]

Thanks OveRun, PM sent to you.

[Dick Smith]

At Gundaroo (YGDO) aircraft must give way to the steam train on the main taxiway!

[Gulfstreamaviator]

LFAT: Railway station between terminal and control tower. Runway crossed apron, and the intersecting short runway.

glf

ps quite a long way from OP

[Gulfstreamaviator]

Forgot LXGB, can not think why, I live at the side of the runway.

There is also a ban for boats with tall masts parking in the marina...can not think why, thewy all have lights on top, just need to park the correct sector light towats the landing runway.

glf

[parabellum]

Thanks everyone, a long list now submitted, your contributions appreciated.