Red Lights, a Stalled Car and 48 Passengers
You are driving a 12-metre coach with 48 passengers, including 12 children, on a national road. You approach an automatic railway level crossing. The red lights start flashing and the barrier on the far side begins to descend. A car ahead of you has stalled on the crossing, partly under the barrier. Your coach is 25 metres from the crossing and travelling at 50 km/h. The crossing has a telephone linked to the signal cabin. There is no room to reverse because a lorry is close behind. It is daylight and the road is dry, but traffic is busy. You must decide where to stop, what to do first, how to deal with the stalled car, and how to manage the passengers if the barrier comes down.
1. What is your immediate action and why?
Read the worked answer
Immediate action. Brake firmly and stop before the stop line or barrier, leaving the crossing completely clear. Red flashing lights mean stop; you must not enter unless your exit is clear. At 50 km/h and 25 m from the crossing, you have very little margin: reaction alone takes about 14 m, so you need immediate braking. Hazards. Switch on hazard lights to warn the lorry behind. Do not enter the crossing to 'follow' the car; that would put the coach in the path of a train. Observation. Check the barrier position and listen for the alarm.
2. The car is stalled on the crossing. Do you try to move it?
Read the worked answer
Stalled car. Do not drive onto the crossing to push or tow it. First use the crossing telephone to alert the signal cabin, or call 999/112, and give the crossing location. If the barrier is down, do not lift it yourself. Only help the car's occupants to get clear if it is safe and no train is approaching. Priority. People first, then alerting the railway. Do not put passengers or yourself on the track. The coach stays back.
3. How do you manage the passengers?
Read the worked answer
Passengers. Keep them on the coach if it is safely stopped away from the crossing; it is usually safer than unloading beside a railway. If there is danger, evacuate away from the tracks and upwind, not along the track. Lead the children to a safe assembly point, count them, and keep them together. Communication. Tell passengers briefly what has happened and what to do. Do not let anyone return for belongings. Once the crossing is clear and the barrier is raised, proceed only when the lights stop.