NickyRannoch wrote:Robert Haynes wrote: Such crossings are, after all, extremely dangerous.
No they're not
The railway industry would beg to differ. That's why they're trying to remove this kind of crossing everywhere in the UK. When it comes to safely operating railways, they're the experts.
Remember, trains are fast, quiet, and take a long time to stop. Safely using an uncontrolled crossing is heavily dependent on you, the user, being extremely alert. Even if you are alert, you may only have a very short period where an oncoming train is visible at all. At the end of a long day on the hill, when you might be wet, tired, and ready to get home, can you guarantee that your entire party will notice an oncoming train and get well clear of the line before the train arrives?
Dalwhinnie LC in particular
might be lower risk than most, as many trains will be slow because of the station or the points at the north end. But a northbound train might be charging through the station at 70mph. At Balsporran, almost all trains will be running through at 80 or 90mph. Judging distance and time at those speeds is extremely difficult.
The only reason that walkers aren't regularly killed crossing railway lines is that there aren't very many walkers and the lines in question have relatively low levels of traffic. As soon as someone is killed - and eventually they will be - there'll be demands to Do Something. It needn't be someone heading for the hills: it could be a local walking their dog, or someone wanting to have a BBQ beside the loch.
Network Rail's view that walkers using these crossings are trespassing might, or might not, be nonsense. Given BTP's view, you're very unlikely to be prosecuted for using them. But they're still dangerous, and where viable alternatives exist closing them (through the proper procedures!) is an easy way of improving safety.