FINAL WHISTLE FOR DROOMERS CROSSINGS

Monday 14 Aug 2006

FINAL WHISTLE FOR DROOMERS CROSSINGS

Region & Route:

People using Droomers crossings in the Windermere area are being warned to be extra vigilant while crossing the tracks in future – as trains will no longer sound their horns on the approach to the crossings. Six ‘whistle boards’, which are spread across the three foot crossings, are to be removed, following a re-evaluation of the safety requirements in the area. Network Rail area general manager, Gary Openshaw, said: “We are pleased for the local community that it has now become possible to remove six whistle boards, and thereby reduce the noise made by passing trains. Local people have been asking for this for some time, but we were unable to do this until we were sure it was safe to do so.” The three crossings, which are very close together, are also close to Windermere station, the end of the line where trains turn round to begin their journeys back to Oxenholme. With whistle boards at each crossing, train drivers were required to sound their horns six times within a very short space of time. However, a recent evaluation of the area has shown that the speed of the trains passing over these crossings is sufficiently low enough to allow us to remove six whistle boards.

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