MEDIA INVITATION: SHIPLAKE LEVEL CROSSING USERS URGED 'DON'T RUN THE RISK'

Thursday 14 Sep 2006

MEDIA INVITATION: SHIPLAKE LEVEL CROSSING USERS URGED 'DON'T RUN THE RISK'

Region & Route:: | Wales & Western: Western; | Wales & Western; | Southern

Date: Saturday 16 September 2006 Time: 10am – 2pm Location: Shiplake Station Event: Network Rail will be fighting level crossing misuse at Shiplake Station with a special stand at the Thames Valley Police Crime Reduction exhibition on Saturday 16 September Media Contact: Stuart Buss 020 7904 4341 / 07799 337367 Network Rail brings its national “Don’t Run the Risk” level crossing campaign to Shiplake Station on Saturday to give local motorists and pedestrians life-saving safety advice. There will be a special stand at the Thames Valley Police Crime Reduction exhibition outlining the dangers of level crossing misuse and giving people facts and advice about how to use crossings safely. Level crossing misuse now represents the largest single risk of train accident on the railway. Shiplake level crossing has suffered from past misuse including an incident in July when a car was struck by a passing train. Nobody was injured in the incident but it serves as an important reminder of the dangers of level crossing misuse. Network Rail’s Route Director Robbie Burns said: “Too many people die at level crossings every year – it is a senseless waste of life. This event represents a great opportunity to spread the “Don’t Run the Risk” message to people who use Shiplake level crossing regularly. Our message to drivers and pedestrians is simple - level crossings are safe if used correctly, but if you run the risk the cost can be fatal. I hope lots of people will visit our stand over the weekend and hear our important safety messages that could one day save their life.” The ‘Don’t Run the Risk’ campaign aims to change the behaviour of level crossing users – to protect themselves and reduce the danger to train passengers. The £3m campaign features extensive nationwide and local advertising including spots on television and radio, and more than one million households have been targeted to receive information leaflets. The hard-hitting advertisements are an element of the most extensive public safety campaign ever run by the rail industry.

Notes to editors

Level Crossing stats: • Level crossings are safe if used correctly • There are 7,674 level crossings in UK, with some 1,500 on public roads • 680 million vehicles use level crossings each year • At least four people chance their lives at levels crossings each day through misuse • One person a month is killed at level crossings, 13 in 2005 • In 2005 there were 229 near misses reported at level crossings and almost 1,200 reports of misuse • 96% of accidents at level crossings are caused by misuse – i.e. drivers ignoring red signals, barriers and klaxons

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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.

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