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Tuesday 24 Oct 2023

Network Rail issues school half term safety warning as near misses at level crossings soar to record levels

Region & Route:

National

• Network Rail reminds parents and children to be safe around the railway over the half term holiday
• Warning comes as the number of near misses between pedestrians and trains at level crossings on the rail network soar to record levels
• New video compilation stresses the importance of leading by example, highlighting instances of parent and child level crossing misuse

Network Rail is reminding the public to be safe around the railway as it warns that the number of near miss incidents between pedestrians and trains on level and footpath crossings is at a record-breaking level.

Britain has one of the safest rail networks in the Europe however, level crossings are one of the biggest public safety risks on the railway. There have been 298¹ near miss incidents involving pedestrians on level crossings so far this year – a 31% increase on the number of recorded incidents at this same point last year.  Last year had seen the highest number of pedestrian near-misses on record.

The new CCTV compilation includes instances where parents are encouraging their children to loiter on footpath crossings to take photos or have been distracted by their phones and are not paying attention to their children playing on the rail tracks.

Rob Wainwright, head of public safety at Network Rail said: “It is very worrying that so many people put their – and in some cases, their children’s - lives at risk at level crossings. We work really hard to educate people, especially school children, about the dangers present on the railway, and that is a message that needs to be reinforced day after day. I urge parents to talk to your children about rail safety and ensure that you lead by example when you are out and about.”

 

Guidance on level crossing use:

• Most crossings have a sign and lights or bells that alert you if a train is coming. Many will also have gates that close when a train is coming. If this happens wait until the train has passed
• When crossing tracks at a railway crossing, you should:
• Stop and look both ways before crossing, listen for the train coming and for warning bells, if there are lights watch for them to flash
• Stand well back from the tracks if a train is going by
• Never try to cross the tracks if a train is coming. It can take up to one and a half miles for a train to come to a complete stop
• Always make sure there are no other trains coming before crossing.
• Cross quickly, keeping children close and dogs on a lead.

For more information and resources on how to use all types of level crossings safely, visit www.networkrail.co.uk/level-crossing-safety/. Our Switched On To Rail Safety website has plenty of resources for school age children aged 3 – 16 years old to learn about rail safety in an age-appropriate way.