Greg Morse, RSSB’s Operational Feedback Lead, explains why closing a level crossing needs your help.
There have been a number of cases recently of people driving or riding in front of trains, with a hair’s breadth to spare before collision. You’ll have seen them on TV or social media if not in control logs or reports.
Many of these incidents could have been avoided if the cyclists, motorists and pedestrians had behaved themselves better. But the railway is not without options and Network Rail has put a lot of effort into reducing the risks. In 2015, for example, the CovTec Supplementary Audible Warning Device began to appear.
This is an overlay train detection system that broadcasts the sound of a train horn at whistle board-protected crossings. They supplement, rather than replace, whistle boards but cut the risk from horns not being heard right down.
In 2015 automated Red Light Safety Equipment started to be installed at public crossings to capture evidence of vehicles failing to stop. The
cameras’ primary purpose is to reduce the risk from collision with a train. They act as a deterrent, dissuading motorists from driving dangerously. By 2017/18, 33 had been fitted and a total of 2,343 cases had been brought. The crossing with the most recorded offences was White Hart Lane, London, with 776 cases.
Another deterrent involves a partnership with British Transport Police (BTP), in which a fleet of mobile safety vehicles, equipped with automatic number plate recognition technology and video surveillance equipment, is being deployed. Where offenders are caught, some are prosecuted, others are offered an education programme.
Talking of education, Network Rail continues to work collaboratively with partners like the National Farmers Union, trade groups, Drinkaware, BTP and more broadly with rail industry colleagues through the International Level Crossing Awareness Day community. Campaigns target at-risk groups, such as those most prone to errors, lapses or deliberate misuse. Each campaign delivers key safety messages to coincide with risk and seasonal trends, keeping information fresh and engaging.
Despite all these methods, and many more, wouldn’t it be better if we could simply close the most dangerous crossings? Yes, it would. But level crossings are public rights of way, so closing one requires widespread consensus and can be very difficult to achieve. The railway first tried closing Buriton footpath crossing in Hampshire as far back as 1896, but closure only came in January 2017, following a public inquiry. That’s well over a hundred years!
The number of crossings has, however, been cut quite significantly over the last 50-60 years. There are two historic reasons for this. First, the size of the rail network has been cut and many branch lines closed, mainly as a result of Beeching’s infamous report, The Reshaping of British Railways in 1963 (available on the Railways Archive website). Secondly, train speeds have increased, especially after the first introduction of the HSTs in 1976 and from the many related resignalling/track realignment schemes.
Despite the difficulties, Network Rail, whose level crossing safety campaigns include Stay Safe with Thomas, Beware the bubble and Switched On!, has closed around 1,200 level crossings in recent years. One of the things that allows the case for closure to be built is information – and not just numbers in a database. Reports from drivers are vital, as only they can hammer home where risks are high and user behaviour is low. So, if you witness an incident at a level crossing, please report it through your usual company channels.
