Spike in near misses at two level crossings in the Cheshunt area prompts safety warning: Wharf road level crossing misuse 2

Wednesday 1 Jun 2016

Spike in near misses at two level crossings in the Cheshunt area prompts safety warning

Region & Route:
| Eastern: Anglia
| Eastern
| Southern

Residents in the Cheshunt area are being reminded the importance of obeying signals and signs at level crossings, following a spike in potentially dangerous incidents at level crossings in Trinity Lane, Waltham Cross and Wharf Road, Broxbourne.

Three incidents have taken place at a crossing in Trinity Lane, Waltham Cross in the last month, where pedestrians and cyclists crossed the railway in front of an oncoming train. In one of those cases, the pedestrians had to run across in order to avoid being killed or seriously injured.

At Wharf Road, a total of 40 incidents were recorded since the beginning of the month (May) where people have risked their lives by using the crossing when the warning lights are lit and the barriers are lowering. Additionally, three near misses were reported where people were close to being struck by an oncoming train.

Images from CCTV footage shows motorists weaving around the barriers to get through or speeding across as the barriers are lowering. They also show pedestrians and cyclists crossing when the barriers are lowering or even when they are down and a train is approaching.

Kat O’Malley, Network Rail’s community safety manager for Anglia said: “I cannot stress enough the danger people are placing themselves and others in by not using crossings correctly. People using Trinity Lane need to look in both directions before crossing and should not cross if they see a train approaching. At Wharf road, I’d urge everyone to obey the signals and wait while the lights are flashing until it is safe to cross. We understand that people are busy but trying to save a couple of minutes by jumping a level crossing isn’t worth the potentially devastating consequences.”

British Transport Police Inspector, Peter Day said: “We know people can get frustrated waiting for barriers to rise and that many are tempted to cross when the amber or red lights are flashing, but it is vital that pedestrians, cyclists and motorists obey signals at level crossings. It is simply not worth risking your life to save a few minutes on your journey.

“Those who fail to use crossings safely are not only risking their own safety, but the safety of other rail and road users.”

Network Rail is investing £100m into its programme to make level crossings safer as part of its Railway Upgrade Plan to provide a bigger, better, more reliable railway for passengers and businesses.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Network Rail is investing £100m into its programme to improve level crossing safety as part of its Railway Upgrade Plan. Since 2010 it has:

  • Employed more than 100 dedicated level crossing managers
  • Closed around 1000 level crossings
  • Replaced footpath crossings with footbridges
  • Installed warning lights as an additional safety measure at footpath crossings
  • Launched a new schools programme – Rail Life – teaching both primary and secondary school children about how to stay safe when crossing the railway
  • Rolled out safety camera enforcement vans in partnership with BTP
  • Invested in new technology such as the obstacle detection radar
  • Introduced power operated gate openers
  • Installed spoken warnings to announce if another train is coming after one train has passed through

Contact information

Passengers / community members
Network Rail national helpline
03457 11 41 41

Latest travel advice
Please visit National Rail Enquiries

Journalists
Network Rail press office - Kate Snowden
Head of communications, Anglia
Network Rail
020 3356 2515 (press line)
07799 337367
kate.snowden@networkrail.co.uk

About Network Rail

We own, operate and develop Britain's railway infrastructure; that's 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations. We run 20 of the UK's largest stations while all the others, over 2,500, are run by the country's train operating companies.

Usually, there are almost five million journeys made in the UK and over 600 freight trains run on the network. People depend on Britain's railway for their daily commute, to visit friends and loved ones and to get them home safe every day. Our role is to deliver a safe and reliable railway, so we carefully manage and deliver thousands of projects every year that form part of the multi-billion pound Railway Upgrade Plan, to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years.

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