I CAUGHT the train towards Cardiff at Lydney on Monday and the barrier came down four minutes before the train was due to leave.
Three people arrived after the barrier was down, one admitted defeat and walked off dejectedly, the other two nipped round by the platform and crossed the line. While I cannot condone this, it is certainly understandable.
When I was in Barmouth recently, which has a station with the similar layout of a road at the end of the platform, the barriers did not go down until the train was ready to leave. The driver had been trusted not to overshoot the station. Surely Lydney could either trust the train drivers to stop where they are supposed to or at least have a sensor about half a mile before the station so that the barriers don't go down unnecessarily early.
Of course there used to be an underpass, but this has now been closed and I can see that it would be expensive to reopen it and provide decent headroom, but maybe there is a local bridge company that could help?
– Passenger, Lydbrook.