Time to stop

THE first thing the off-duty policeman saw was a car stopped on the train tracks, where the road to Ufton Nervet crosses the main line to the west of England, 70 kilometres from London. Almost at once, the barriers of the level crossing came down to stop further traffic, which meant a train was little more than 30 seconds away. The policeman rushed to the telephone beside the crossing to warn signalling staff. But it was too late. A crowded express travelling at 160 kilometres an hour hit the car and came off the rails. The accident, last Saturday, killed…