Media centre

Tuesday 29 Apr 2014

Footbridge replaces West Coast main line level crossing in Staffordshire as part of nation wide safety commitment

Region & Route:

A footbridge has opened across the busy West Coast main line in Staffordshire to replace a footpath level crossing as part of Network Rail’s commitment to improve safety on the railway.

The bridge will replace the Whitebridge Lane level crossing, near Stone, and provide a safe route across the railway. It will result in the level crossing being permanently closed, reducing risk to the many people who cross the railway at this location every day.

Whitebridge Lane is one of 200 crossings that Network Rail is aiming to close before April 2019 on the London North Western (LNW) route which runs from London Euston, through the West Midlands and north west of England, to the Scottish border.

Terry Strickland, area director for Network Rail, said: “This new footbridge is a further positive step as part of our efforts to close 200 level crossings across the LNW route by 2019.

“The West Coast main line is one of the busiest sections of railway in Europe. Safety is at the heart of everything we do as an industry and closing this level crossing was an obvious decision to take. The new bridge will reduce risk and provide a much safer route across the railway.

“We are in the process of identifying other level crossings to close and will continue to liaise with local authorities, landowners and interested parties up and down the route to continue to improve safety on the railway.”

Around 200 trains travel over the crossing every day. The new bridge will allow for the line speed in the area to be restored to 110mph, helping to reduce journey times for passengers.

Targeting the closure of 200 level crossings on LNW by April 2019 is part of Network Rail’s national programme to invest £100m over the next five years to close 500 level crossings and reduce they pose to the network by a further 25%. This will build on the £130m invested by Network Rail since 2010 which has helped to close almost 800 level crossings across Britain.