LEVEL CROSSINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3105, 17 September 1913, Page 8

LEVEL CROSSINGS.

AUTOMATIC SIGNALS

CFbou Ouh Own Cobhkspondent »

WELLINGTON, September 10.

An important question was asked in the House to-day by Mr Young. He invited the Minister of "Railways, with a view to giving a direction to inventors of safety signals for level crossings, to announce what length of time the Railway Department lays down as the minimum that an automatic danger signal should operate and indicate danger before the engine arrives at a level crossing. In reply, the Hon. Mr Herries (Minister of Railways) said; —“The minimum length of time that an automatic signal should operate and indicate danger before the engine arrives at a crossing depends largely on the speed of the approaching train. Where the speed of a passenger train is 40 miles an hour the minimum time would be the time that would be occupied by the train in covering the halfmile limit) imposed by law as being the distance when the crossing automatically becomes a portion of the railway and is closed as a public roadway. Where a train was travelling at 30 miles an hour it would take 60 seconds to cover the, halfmile, and that would be the minimum warning required. Any safety appliances designed for use at crossings must therefore be capable of working satisfactorily over a distance of at least half a mile, and the line should be automatically blocked from the time a train operated the warning appliance at the half-mile distance until it cleared the crossing.” In reply to a further question by Mr Young about speed restrictions at level crossings the Minister of Railways said that speed restrictions were imposed in regard to busy crossings, where exceptional circumstances prevailed in respect to the volume of road traffic. At other crossings the drivers of all trains were specifically directed to give timely notice by a warning whistle of the approach of trains and to keep a vigilant look-out, but no speed restrictions were imposed. In connection with this matter he would direct special attention to the fact that a level crossing automatically became a part of the railway,and the public right of way at such crossing ceased whenever a train was approaching and was within half a mil© of the crossing.