A319
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 143; Flight Crew Total 292; Flight Crew Type 12245
Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Ground Conflict; Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Rejected Takeoff; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
ATC Equipment / Nav Facility / Buildings; Human Factors
Normal ground operations; approaching Taxiway WP from Taxiway NB Tower cleared us for takeoff. On Taxiway WC approaching Runway 15R; the Tower Controller asked if we could 'take it on the roll' and we responded 'affirmative'. I lined the aircraft up on the runway and transferred aircraft control to First Officer (his flying leg); he advanced the throttles to FLEX MCT and we made the appropriate call outs. Immediately thereafter; the red stop lights bracketing the runway centerline illuminated. We immediately aborted the takeoff at airspeed of 40-50 kts.; the auto brakes did not engage. A couple of seconds later the Tower Controller said 'cancel takeoff clearance; exit at next right turnoff.' The delay between stop light illumination and the 'cancel takeoff clearance' call was excessive and the Tower Controller talked very fast while directing exit instructions. We complied with an exit at Taxiway WQ. We made an announcement; reset the FMGC per the QRH; re-ran the before takeoff checklist; and held short of Runway 15 on Taxiway WC on the West side.We queried the Tower Controller as to why the stop lights illuminated; and he responded there was an aircraft on final for Runway 09 at less than 1.6 miles when we initiated the takeoff roll; the stop light illumination was automatic. We delayed another takeoff for approximately 10 minutes; the brake temperatures on the left side were right at 300 degrees. I made the decision to allow them to cool a bit for a downward temperature trend before taking off again; I did not want to risk a brake ECAM on the next takeoff roll. The subsequent takeoff was uneventful.While we were waiting; it did not appear that the aircraft takeoff queue was excessively busy; it was not that busy when we took the runway the first time. My thoughts are 'what's the big rush'; especially with the controller knowing the automatic function of the stop lights.
A319 Captain reported seeing red stop lights bracketing the runway; resulting in a rejected takeoff.