Media centre

Wednesday 15 Aug 2012

Professor Green: stop listening to my music...at level crossings in the West

Region & Route:

| Wales & Western: Western

| Wales & Western

Music artist Professor Green is encouraging people Iin the West of England to stop listening to his music. Why? He’s teamed up with Network Rail for its latest safety campaign asking people to remove their headphones at level crossings so they aren’t distracted from warnings about approaching trains.

*Two people have tragically died this year at footpath crossings where it is thought they were wearing headphones. In the past five years, train drivers or railway staff have reported 19 incidents where pedestrians, joggers or cyclists wearing headphones have crossed the railway, seemingly oblivious to the approaching train.

The new digital campaign– Lose Your Headphones – features the popular rapper in a video which will appear on the music streaming service Spotify as well as being promoted via social media sites such as Twitter. Network Rail is also encouraging people to spread the word about removing headphones by offering a prize of Sonos music speakers to five lucky winners who re-tweet the campaign message.

Professor Green spoke about why he’s supporting the new campaign: “I never imagined asking people to stop listening to my music but this is about staying safe, so just for a minute, I want them to stop.

“I know it’s very easy to get caught up in a track when you have your headphones on and get distracted from where you are and what’s around you but I’m asking, please, lose your headphones when at a level crossing and pay attention to all the safety warnings. I don’t want anyone to end up on the tracks listening to one of mine.”

Liz Heading, Network Rail’s community safety manager for Western, said: “People wear headphones all the time nowadays; on the train, walking down the street, and even cycling or in the shops. We think though that there are times when it makes sense to stop the music and devote your full attention to where you’re going.

“Trains can travel up to 125mph on the main British rail network and even with safety warnings such as lights and signs at footpaths across the tracks, it’s easy to get distracted if you’re caught up with your favourite tune. If Professor Green is asking people to stop listening to his music just for a few minutes, we hope people will listen up, lose their headphones, and not their lives.”

The campaign will run over the next four weeks. For more information on Network Rail’s work to reduce risk at level crossings, visit http://www.networkrail.co.uk/level-crossings/