Thursday 7 May 2020
Drivers and pedestrians risk their lives at Bicester level crossing
- Region & Route:
- North West & Central
Shocking footage from a level crossing in Bicester has revealed drivers and pedestrians are risking their lives and regularly ignoring its red lights.
In the last five years, there have been 111 incidents of deliberate misuse at the crossing on London Road near Bicester Village station.
Footage release today (7 May) by Network Rail shows a pedestrian jumping over two sets of closed barriers, while another shows a cyclist getting trapped within the crossing and narrowly missing an oncoming train.
The Chiltern main line between Oxford and London can see trains travel at speeds of up to 100mph. But with trains travelling at slower speeds near the station, some impatient road users are taking their safety for granted.
Planned upgrades to the railway between Oxford and Bletchley will mean more faster trains on the route travelling at full speed in future.
Rhys Evans, level crossing manager at Network Rail, said: “I look after more than 70 level crossings, and this one on London Road in Bicester is one that really concerns me due to a high number of people deliberately misusing it.
“Waiting at a level crossing can be frustrating but the barriers are timed to be down for the least amount of time to maintain safety for crossing users and passengers.
“You may be in a hurry. You may use a level crossing every day. You may even think you know when the train is coming. But if you take a chance you’re putting your life and the lives of others at risk.”
Inspector Darren Burridge, from British Transport Police, said: “Each year, hundreds of people take risks on and around the railway, resulting in tragic consequences and life-changing injuries.
“We are continuing to proactively patrol the railway network across England, Wales and Scotland. Safety is our number one priority and we’re reminding everyone of the importance of taking care around the railway and following warning signs when using level crossings.”
The red light at a level crossing flashes when the barriers are coming down and a train is on its way - the same as traffic lights at a road junction.
Misusing a level crossing can damage the railway, which costs the taxpayer. It also increases train and road delays. Most seriously, misusing a level crossing can be fatal.
Network Rail and the British Transport Police are working together to combat misuse at level crossings.
Notes to Editors
Important messages to remember for level crossing users:
- The rail network is never switched off. Trains can run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year round.
- Passenger services are not the only users of the rail network; freight trains run all through the day and night.
- Never anticipate that you know when the next train is due.
- Fewer passenger trains running on the rail network allows more freight services to operate during the day, transporting vital goods around the country.
- Trains can travel at up to 125mph, and up to 100mph on the line between Oxford and Bicester and not all services will necessarily stop at Bicester Village station.
An incident is declared when either a train driver or a signaller, who monitors the level crossing remotely witnesses deliberate misuse of the crossing by pedestrians, cyclists or drivers.
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 - North West & Central Region
07740 782954
NWCmediarelations@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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