Level Crossing (Poyntzpass) Order (Northern Ireland) 1997

Article 3(c)

SCHEDULE 2 Conditions and Requirements to be Complied with by the Railway Undertaking

1.  The surface of the carriageway and footways over the crossing shall be maintained in a good and even condition. The carriageway shall be not less than 6.6 metres wide and the footway not less than 1.6 metres wide on each side of the carriageway.

2.  The barriers shall be kept in the fully raised position except during the time when any vehicle passing along the railway has occasion to cross the carriageway. The electric lamps on each barrier shall be lit except when the barriers are fully raised.

3.  The protecting signals shall be controlled from the crossing or signal box containing the crossing control point. This control point shall be located so that there is a clear view of the crossing from it.

4.  In the event of the crossing being remotely controlled a picture of the crossing shall be exhibited on the television monitor before the sequence of events to close the crossing to road traffic begins. The picture shall continue to be exhibited until either the barriers are fully raised after the “raise” push-button is pressed or if automatic raising is in operation after the “crossing clear” push-button is pressed.

5.  Visual indicators and an audible alarm shall be provided at the control point. The indicators shall show when—

(a) the main power supply is available;

(b) all the barriers are fully raised;

(c) all the barriers are fully lowered;

(d) at least one of the intermittent red lights in each of the traffic light signals on each side of the railway is showing along the carriageway.

6.  The audible alarm shall sound if—

(a) any barrier is horizontally dislocated when in the fully lowered position;

(b) the main power supply fails;

(c) both the intermittent red lights of any of the road traffic signals fail.

7.  When the “lower” push-button is pressed, the sequence of events to close the crossing to road traffic shall begin. The sequence shall be—

(a) the amber lights shall immediately show and the audible warning shall begin. The lights shall show for approximately 3 seconds;

(b) immediately the amber lights are extinguished the intermittent red lights shall show;

(c) 4 to 6 seconds later, the left hand side barriers on each approach to the crossing shall begin to descend and shall take a further 6 to 10 seconds to reach the lowered position;

(d) the right hand side barriers on each approach to the crossing shall then begin to descend taking 6 to 10 seconds to reach the lowered position;

(e) the audible warning shall stop when all barriers are fully lowered.

8.  The arrangements shall be such that the protecting railway signals can only be cleared after the barriers are fully lowered and after the “crossing clear” push-button has been pressed. Unless the protecting signals have been cleared for another train all the barriers shall rise simultaneously after the “raise” push-button has been pressed or automatically as soon as the train has passed clear of the crossing.

9.  The intermittent red lights shall continue to show until the barriers have begun to rise and shall be extinguished before the barriers have risen to an angle of 45 degrees above the horizontal.

10.  If any barrier fails to rise from the lowered position the intermittent red lights shall continue to show.

11.  Should automatic raising take an abnormally long time an audible and visual warning shall be given at the control point.