A reader sent a video showing that after a train had passed, the barriers on Polna and Modłowa streets did not open, while cars waited in front of the lowered barriers (the video was recorded a month and a half ago). “Why aren’t the barriers opened immediately after the train passes, but only after more than two minutes?” the reader asks. We sent the question to Polskie Koleje Państwowe.
Here is the explanation from the Railway Lines Plant in Wrocław:
In response to the report concerning the railway-road crossing at Bolesławiec station, along Polna and Modłowa streets, the Railway Lines Plant in Wrocław reports that it conducted an investigation into the matter. As a result, it was established that on the evening of March 14, the extended opening time of the crossing gates was caused by a locomotive performing shunting work on the station’s additional tracks while the freight train was passing. Because the crossing is located within the protective route for those tracks, the crossing gates had to remain closed.
As part of the investigation referred to above, the traffic controllers operating the crossing in question were instructed to organize operational work at the station in such a way that the crossing gates would remain closed for as short a time as possible. In operating railway-road crossings, the Railway Lines Plant in Wrocław follows the principle of ensuring the safety of all users of the crossing, which can sometimes lead to inconveniences felt primarily by drivers.
The Railway Lines Plant in Wrocław apologizes for the disruption to traffic.