Media centre

Monday 27 Jun 2005

PHOTOCALL: MP SUPPORTS NEW LIFE SAVING SAFETY INITIATIVE

Region & Route:

Date: Friday, July 1 2005 Time: 10am Location: Rylands crossing, end of Brock Road, Chorley Journalists and photographers are invited to attend the launch of a new safety initiative to raise awareness about the dangers of crossing misuse, which is being supported by Lindsay Hoyle, MP for Chorley. Gary Openshaw, General Manager (Preston) said: “There are over 2,500 footpath crossings in the UK and these are perfectly safe to use as long as they are used correctly.  “We are urging the local community to follow three simple rules when using the crossing; look, listen and live.” The accessibility of Rylands crossing in Chorley has made it a bad location for trespass and vandalism and there has also been a fatality on the crossing. There have been 23 safety incidents in the past 3 years, which is why our Operations and Customer Services team in Preston are trying to highlight the potential dangers within the community. A sign highlighting the potential dangers and number of incidents is being erected at the site to ensure users take greater care when using the crossing and are aware that failing to follow the correct procedure could potentially have tragic consequences. Lindsay Hoyle MP said: “I welcome any initiative that increases the safety of my constituents. “I’m pleased to see Network Rail is taking prompt and direct action to try and resolve this issue on what is an extremely busy and vital crossing for the local community.”