Media centre

Friday 16 Oct 2015

Network Rail announces plans to reopen the Plumpton level crossing

Region & Route:

| Southern

At a public meeting chaired by Maria Caulfied MP, Network Rail has this evening announced plans to remove the Plumpton level crossing gates and replace them with a safe 21^st century solution in order to reopen the road by mid-November.

A team from Network Rail explained to local residents the options for safely reopening the level crossing.  Following reviews with relevant experts and Lewes District Council this week, the Network Rail team reported that the quickest and safest way to reopen the crossing was to install a full-width barrier crossing with automatic object detection equipment – a modern, safe system used widely in Britain and other European countries. This will begin immediately with the intention to open the road within five weeks.

The current unsafe listed gates to the crossing will be carefully removed over the weekend 24/25 October and stored safely until a long-term solution for the crossing has been determined with full consent from the local authority.

At the same time, Network Rail will appeal Lewes District Council planning committee’s decision, as well as submitting a new application for listed buildings consent.  Network Rail assured residents that they will be bound by the outcome of both of these processes and that they will continue to work closely with the council to understand the implications of doing this.

We will work with the parish, district and county councils to address a number of issues raised in the meeting, including signage and measures to help people with personal mobility issues.

Alasdair Coates, Network Rail route managing director for the South East, said: “It's clear many people will be disappointed by this decision but the community were clear that the priority for them is to reopen the road as quickly and safely as possible.  The solution announced this evening is the only option that will allow us to do that. The Plumpton level crossing gates will be carefully removed and stored whilst the appeal and new application for listed buildings consent is pursued.”

NOTES TO EDITORS

• A copy of the letter issued to residents at the meeting is attached.
• Attached:
  • Photographs that highlight why the level crossing poses a high safety risk.
    • Picture 1 - The gates not closing fully.
    • Picture 2 - Worn gate locking mechanism.
  • Photograph a full width barrier (type to be installed at Plumpton).
• There are approximately 6,100 level crossings in Britain. Level crossings were built with the Victorian railway more than 100 years ago when there were far fewer trains, travelling at slower speeds and fewer people and road traffic. If the railway were being built today, level crossings would not be used.
• There are many different types of crossings, all with different safety measures in place from signs, to barriers and klaxons. See http://www.networkrail.co.uk/level-crossings/types-of-level-crossing/.
• There were eight pedestrian fatalities and two road vehicle fatalities at level crossings in 2014/15.
• At seven, the number of collisions between trains and road vehicles was below the 10-year average of 11 per year.
• Network Rail is investing £100m in the next four years to reduce risk at level crossings and improve safety. The ongoing programme of activity includes:
• Network Rail’s dedicated community safety team which aims to reduce railway crime
• Level crossing closure programme which has seen more than 900 closed over the past six years
• Investment in upgrading and improving level crossings
  • Mobile camera enforcement vans
  • Developing better and cost-effective ways of detecting and recording level crossings misuse