Media centre

Monday 7 Mar 2016

Evening spike in near misses with trains prompts new level crossing safety warning for commuters in Anglia

Region & Route:

| Eastern: Anglia

| Eastern

| Southern

Commuters in Anglia are being warned to take care at level crossings on their journey home from work after new figures from Network Rail revealed that across Britain, more than half of all near misses with trains at level crossings over the last five years took place during the evening rush hour with more than a fifth of these happening in Anglia.

Network Rail has launched a new level crossing safety awareness campaign targeting commuters, reminding them to take care at level crossings, particularly as they travel home from work, to help improve the safety of everyone who travels on or across the railway.

Britain has the safest major rail network in Europe but injuries and near misses on level crossings still occur – particularly at the beginning and end of the working day. In the last five years, across Britain there have been more than 500 near misses involving cyclists, motorists and pedestrians during the peak travel hours for commuters –7-9am and 4-7pm.  Of these, 115 happened in the Anglia region and over half (57%) occurred during the evening rush hours in Anglia.

The new campaign aims to encourage safer behaviour at level crossings, reminding everyone:

• Amber warning lights at road level crossings means ‘stop – a train is coming’
• Don’t rush and try and beat the barriers or other warning systems at level crossings
• Beware of distractions such as phones or music
• Never assume that there is only one train coming or think that you know the timetable to guess when a train might come

British Transport Police and Network Rail safety teams have been out at level crossings across the Anglia region last week, handing out leaflets and travel card holders, to commuters and other level crossing users, that carry key safety messages and advice on how to use level crossings safely as part of the BTP Operation Look level crossing safety initiative.

Safety teams also held a level crossing awareness day at South Essex College’s Thurrock Campus on Tuesday 1 March, to warn young pedestrians about the dangers of the Grays town centre crossing. Network Rail, c2c and British Transport Police joined together with the College to educate students on how to cross safely and the Land Sheriffs were also on hand to give out advice.

Kat O’Malley, community safety manager for Network Rail in Anglia, said: “Commuters want their journey to or from work to be as quick and easy as possible, and I understand they may find waiting at a level crossing an inconvenience especially after a hard day’s work. It is important that everyone understands that level crossing warnings are there to keep us all safe, so be vigilant and obey them – even if you’re in a hurry.

“Network Rail is investing more than £100m to improve level crossing safety across Britain, but we need motorists, cyclists and pedestrians to do their bit too. By paying attention to the warnings at level crossings and avoiding distractions we can all keep ourselves out of harm’s way.”

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 over 990 level crossings

• Replaced footpath crossings with footbridges
• Installing 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

Near misses where commuters have come close to being struck by a train in Anglia
	2010/11	2011/12	2012/13	2013/14	2014/15	TOTAL
Anglia	18	28	20	29	20	115