UK: EDS Ltd has developed and supplied a set of cantilevered telescopic level crossing gates which are designed to avoid the problems which strong winds can cause for lifting barriers or swing gates.
The first installation replaced a set of swing gates in Redcar. ‘We have been all too aware of the problems suffered at West Dyke Road in high winds and decided that the level of disruption caused needed addressing’, said Dave Morgan, NR Area Director. ‘The new barrier has been designed with this specific problem in mind and is unlike any existing crossing on the network, and we are confident that its installation with help improve the flow of traffic and pedestrians’.
The telescopic gates use position and rotation sensors and a programmable logic controller to vary their speed dependent on position, and have ‘fast stop’ edge sensors.
EDS Managing Director Mark Darlaston said the company was ‘proud to have delivered a first in UK rail history’, adding that there had been interest in the design from other European countries ‘and we anticipate that this first will set the benchmark for future installations.’
