Media centre

Friday 3 May 2013

International awareness day to help make level crossings across the south and south west of England safer

Region & Route:

| Southern: Wessex

| Southern

Level crossings across the south and south west of England are being targeted this week to raise public awareness about the importance of using them safely and correctly.

Across Britain, rail safety teams are hosting more than 100 awareness events to help educate people as part of International Level Crossing Awareness Day.

On the Wessex route, which runs from London Waterloo across the south and south west of England, between April 2012 and March 2013 there were 34 near misses, three incidents of a vehicle being damaged and one injury as a result of people misusing level crossings.

The new figures have been published by the Network Rail and South West Trains Alliance which is one of 45 worldwide organisations supporting International Level Crossing Awareness Day on Tuesday 7 May 2013.

Safety teams will be at level crossings in Feniton between 7.15am and noon; Poole High Street between 8.30am and noon; Gramshaw Road, Salisbury between 8am and noon; Mount Pleasant, Southampton between 8.30am and noon; and Farnborough North between 7.30m and 10.30am on Tuesday 7 May.

They will be speaking to crossing users about the importance of using level crossings safely and the potential consequences of misusing crossings. Safety leaflets will be handed out BTP will have the option of taking enforcement action against those who misuse the crossings.

Martin Gallagher, head of level crossings at Network Rail said: “Where a road or footpath meets the railway there will always be a risk – tragically, for a few people every year, this results in injury or loss of life. We want to reduce the chances of this happening as much as possible. The surest way to reduce risk at a level crossing is to close it and under our current safety programme we have successfully closed more than 600 nationally in the last three years.

“If we’re not able to close a crossing, we want to raise awareness of how to use crossings safely and the risks associated with getting distracted or ignoring warning signs. That’s why our safety teams are out across the country as part of International Level Crossing Awareness Day to talk to people who use the crossings, listen to any questions they may have and help them better understand what we’re doing to improve safety for them and everyone around the railway.”

Superintendent Phil Trendall of British Transport Police said: “BTP works closely with all our rail industry partners and other police forces to educate users of level crossings as well as enforce road traffic legislation. International Level Crossing Awareness Day remains a key event in our calendar and BTP officers will be out and about at crossings around the country to promote that all-important safety message. Safety remains our primary concern and we will do all we can to contribute to the proper use of crossings, which must be treated with respect. However, the law related to crossings will be enforced and where necessary drivers prosecuted.”

For more information on how to safely use level crossings visit www.networkrail.co.uk/level-crossings/types-of-level-crossing/footpath-crossings/