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Monday 16 Dec 2013

Network Rail to seek closure of Grange foot crossing

Region & Route:

Network Rail has confirmed that it is seeking to close the footpath crossing over the railway at Bailey Lane, Grange-over-Sands. A request for a rail crossing diversion order to allow the crossing to permanently close has been made to Cumbria County Council today.

Network Rail has previously made safety improvements at the crossing and in 2006 constructed a new subway underneath the railway to provide an alternative route for pedestrians, removing the need to cross the tracks. Despite the new subway, previous attempts to close the crossing have failed with the latest reported ‘near miss’ occurring in September this year.

Martin Frobisher, area director for Network Rail, said: “The surest way to remove the risk of someone being struck by a train at a level crossing is to close it. Despite making safety improvements at Bailey Lane and providing an alternative route, this crossing is still well used and represents a real risk to those people who continue to use it. We have had incidents at this crossing in the past but Network Rail do not want to wait for a tragedy to occur before acting. That is why we have asked the local authority for a diversion order to be made.”

Surveys carried by Network Rail showed that Bailey Lane was used by over 4000 people over nine days this summer including children, people with push bikes and mobility scooters. A three-year-old child died at the crossing in 1988 and there have been a number of near misses with the most recent happening in September when a train travelling at 50mph came within seconds of striking a pedestrian on the crossing.

The alternative route which was constructed by Network Rail in 2006 involves a 350-metre diversion via a fully accessible subway underneath the railway to reach the promenade.