Media centre

Wednesday 9 Feb 2011

MOTORING MADNESS AT ANGLIA LEVEL CROSSINGS CONTINUES

Region & Route:

| Eastern: Anglia

| Eastern

New CCTV highlights crazy driving and people risking lives at level crossings across Britain
Network Rail joins forces with National Farmers Union to highlight misuse on rural crossings

The number of motorists involved in near misses with trains at level crossings increased by 15% in 2010, according to Network Rail. This worrying trend is revealed as the company publishes the latest figures on level crossing misuse. It wants people to change their behaviour at level crossings where motorists and pedestrians break the law daily, many causing disruption and damage to rail and road services, with the unfortunate few suffering sometimes fatal consequences.

There were 3,446 recorded incidents of misuse at level crossings across Britain last year, including 670 in the Anglia region – although it is thought the true figure is much higher. Whilst the number of near misses is up, collisions with trains have halved from 14 in 2009 to seven nationwide. Fatalities were down too, from 13 to four.

Andrew Munden, Network Rail route director for Anglia, said: “Too many motorists continue to break the law by jumping the lights or swerving around barriers at level crossings. Hundreds of pedestrians are also risking their lives just trying to save a few seconds. It’s just not worth it.

“Whilst deaths and injuries are thankfully few, the actions of an impatient or ignorant minority cause great cost, delay and disruption to rail and road users across our region.”

Farm crossing crackdown
There are almost 1,000 level crossings in the Anglia region, which covers Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire as well as parts of Hertfordshire and Greater London. More than 300 of these crossings are user-worked crossings, meaning the crossing needs to be operated by the person wishing to cross the railway. These crossings are often on private land and provide a vital link across railway lines for many farmers.

In an effort to highlight the issue of misuse at these crossings Network Rail has joined forces with the British Transport Police (BTP) and the National Farmers Union (NFU) to remind farm workers driving agricultural vehicles of the proper and safe way to use them.

In August 2010 a train collided with a tanker at a user-worked crossings at Sewage Works Lane in Little Cornard, Suffolk after the driver failed to telephone for permission to cross the railway. Thankfully nobody was killed, although there were a number of serious injuries. The driver has since been sentenced to 15 months for endangering safety on the railway.

Mr Munden continued: “We have a particular issue in the Anglia region, which has more than 300 user-worked crossings on private land such as farms. Teaming up with the NFU is an excellent way for Network Rail and the BTP to get the message out to landowners that they’re putting their lives at risk if they misuse level crossings.”

Cutting-edge technology
In a new initiative to reduce to reduce disruption at level crossings, cutting-edge camera technology has been introduced as part of a pilot by Network Rail and the British Transport Police across the Wessex, Sussex and Kent rail routes. If the pilot proves successfully it could be rolled out more widely.

Network Rail has funded a purpose-built marked police van to be fitted with nine cameras, each of which can use number plate recognition technology to help deter motorists from breaking the law. One of the cameras is attached to a pole which extends up to ten metres into the air, enabling the van to operate without being right next to the level crossing. The van, which is operated by British Transport Police officers, also has access to all the systems required to process prosecutions instantly. The new mobile camera technology has been introduced to try and change motorist behaviour and deter them from jumping lights and swerving around barriers and gates.