STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS.

S.I. No. 54 of 2000.

IARNRÓD ÉIREANN (ATHLONE-KNOCKCROGHERY) (HODSON'S BAY LEVEL CROSSING) ORDER, 2000

S.I. No. 54 of 2000.

IARNRÓD ÉIREANN (ATHLONE-KNOCKCROGHERY) (HODSON'S BAY LEVEL CROSSING) ORDER, 2000

I, MARY O'ROURKE, Minister for Public Enterprise, on the application of Iarnród Éireann -- Irish Rail made pursuant to section 22 of the Transport (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1971 ( No. 14 of 1971 ), as applied by section 8(7) of the Transport (Re-organisation of Córas Iompair Éireann) Act, 1986 ( No. 31 of 1986 ), and after consultation with the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 22 of the Transport (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1971 (as adapted by the Transport, Energy and Communications (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order, 1997 ( S.I. No. 299 of 1997 ), and by the Environment (Alteration of Name of Department and title of Minister) Order, 1997 ( S.I. No. 322 of 1997 ), and the Communications (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) (No. 2) Order, 1987 ( S.I. No. 92 of 1987 ), hereby order as follows:

1. This Order may be cited as the Iarnród Éireann (Athlone-Knockcroghery) (Hodson's Bay Level Crossing) Order, 2000.

2. This Order shall come into operation on the 27th day of February 2000.

3. In this Order--

“the Company” means Iarnród Éireann -- Irish Rail;

“the Minister” means the Minister for Public Enterprise;

“the level crossing” means that place where the Company's railway between Roscommon and Athlone crosses on the level a public road running between the Athlone/ Roscommon road and Hodson's Bay on Lough Ree at Hodson's Bay level crossing in the townland of Barrymore, parish of Barrymore and county of Roscommon;

“roadway” means that portion of the said public road which is provided primarily for the use of vehicles;

“left” and “right” mean, respectively, left and right looking towards the level crossing from the adjoining portion of the said public road.

4. Any obligation of the Company to provide or maintain gates at the level crossing shall cease to apply to the level crossing.

5. The Company shall provide, maintain, control and operate a half barrier (hereinafter called “the barrier”) at each side of the level crossing, and each barrier shall be capable of being automatically controlled.

6. Each barrier shall--

(a) be constructed of wood or other lightweight material;

(b) have alternative red and white bands of reflecting material on the face thereof and a red band at the tip, each band being approximately 600 millimetres in width and vertical when the barrier is lowered;

(c) have two non-flashing red electric lights, one of which shall be placed approximately half-way along the length, and on top, of the barrier, and the other of which shall be placed within 150 millimetres of the tip, and on top, of the barrier and each of which shall be of not less power than 6 watts and so placed as to show both ways along the road;

(d) be pivoted at the left side of the public road and be of such length that, when lowered, the tip of the barrier shall be not more than 300 millimeteres from the centre, nor less than 3,000 millimetres from the right edge of the roadway.

7. Each barrier shall be so designed that--

(a) when raised it shall be approximately vertical and no part thereof shall be within 600 millimetres of a vertical line from the edge of the roadway;

(b) when lowered it shall be at, or nearly at, right angles to the centre line of the roadway and the underside of the barrier shall be not less than 840 millimetres and not more than 1,000 millimetres above the centre of the roadway;

(c) it shall be capable of being controlled from a position near the level crossing by the employees of the Company.

8. The barriers shall be operated electrically and shall be controlled, at the option of the Company, either automatically, by track circuits or treadles on the railway line on each approach to the level crossing, or manually, by proper persons employed by the Company.

9. The Company shall provide and maintain--

(a) two red electric lights, flashing alternately and one amber electric light, located on or adjacent to each barrier pivot post and facing outwards from the level crossing along the public road, the red lights being not less than 2,440 millimetres above the road surface and the amber light being fixed on the same post or fixture below the red lights, and not less than 2,140 millimetres above the road surface;

(b) two red electric lights, flashing alternately and one amber electric light located on a post on the right-hand side of the public road at each side of the level crossing and facing outwards from the level crossing along the public road, the red lights being not less than 2,440 millimetres above the road surface and the amber light being fixed on the same post or fixture below the red lights and not less that 2,140 millimetres above the road surface;

(c) an electric bell or other audible warning device at each side of the level crossing;

(d) an alternative power supply of sufficient capacity to operate the barriers, lights and bells for not less than 12 hours;

(e) a telephone in a conspicuously marked housing at each side of the level crossing, connected to one of the Company's signal boxes controlling railway traffic at the level crossing;

(f) if the signal boxes to which the telephones are connected are not continuously attended, a yellow light inside or adjacent to each telephone housing that is capable of being illuminated from the signal box to indicate that the line is closed to railway traffic.

10. The Company shall arrange, manage, control and operate the barriers and all appliances relating thereto or connected with the regulation of the level crossing so that--

(a) the barriers shall be kept in the raised position except when vehicles travelling along the railway have occasion to cross the said roadway;

(b) the amber lights shall become illuminated not less than 5 seconds before the flashing red lights being to flash, shall remain illuminated until the flashing red lights begin to flash, and shall then be extinguished;

(c) the bells shall start sounding not less than 5 seconds before the flashing red lights begin to flash and shall continue to sound until the barriers are in the lowered position;

(d) the flashing red lights shall start flashing not less than 6 seconds before the barriers begin to fall;

(e) the barriers shall be lowered within a period of not less than 6 nor more than 8 seconds and such lowering shall automatically switch on the non-flashing red lights on the barriers;

(f) the lowering of the barriers shall be completed not less than 16 seconds before the arrival at the level crossing of any vehicle travelling along the railway;

(g) the time interval between the illumination of the amber lights by any vehicle travelling along the railway and the arrival of that vehicle at the level crossing shall be not less than 37 seconds;

(h) the flashing red lights shall continue to flash and the non-flashing red lights on the barriers shall remain illuminated while the barriers are in the lowered position;

(i) the barriers shall remain in the lowered position until the vehicle or the last axle of the train which caused the barriers to fall has passed the level crossing and shall then commence to rise to the raised position;

(j) the flashing red lights and the non-flashing red lights on the barriers shall be extinguished as the barriers approach the raised position;

(k) the alternative power supply referred to in paragraph (d) of Article 9 of this Order shall come into operation automatically if the main power supply should fail;

(l) the barriers shall fall to, and remain in, the lowered position--

(i) if all power supplies should fail;

(ii) if there should be any defect in any of the appliances relating thereto (other than failure of electric bulbs), unless the barriers are maintained in the raised position by manual control;

(m) at all times when the railway line is closed to traffic the yellow lights referred to in paragraph (f) of Article 9 of this Order shall be illuminated.

11. The Company shall provide and maintain--

(a) a notice at each side of the level crossing instructing drivers of large vehicles (over 16.5 metres in length or 2.9 metres in width or 32.5 tonnes in laden weight) or slow vehicles (16 kilometres per hour or less) and persons in charge of herds of animals to telephone the signalman before crossing;

(b) a notice at or near each telephone indicating that if the yellow light at the telephone housing is illuminated the line is closed to railway traffic;

(c) a notice at each side of the level crossing advising users of the public road to telephone the signalman if there appears to be undue delay in the raising of the barriers or in an emergency;

(d) a whistle board on the railway line at each approach to the level crossing as an indication to drivers of vehicles travelling along the railway that are equipped with whistles or horns to cause such whistles or horns to be sounded approaching the level crossing;

(e) a good road surface on the level crossing and extending for 1,000 millimetres beyond the left and right edges of the roadway;

(f) guards against trespass abutting the left and right edges of such road surface.

Nothing in this Order shall operate to relieve the Company of its obligation to give to the Minister the notices in writing in relation to the level crossing provided for in section 4 of the Railway Regulation Act, 1842, as amended.