Media centre

Monday 3 Oct 2016

Residents invited to information event about the closure of Hertfordshire level crossing

Region & Route:

| Eastern: Anglia

| Eastern

| Southern

Residents are invited to an information event to find out more about plans to close a pedestrian level crossing in Waltham Cross and replace it with a footbridge.

The information event will take place from 2pm until 6pm at Trinity Lane level crossing on Tuesday 11 October.

The crossing in Trinity Lane, Waltham Cross, which sees 700 pedestrians a day, has become one of the most dangerous on the railway network in Anglia. Pedestrians started using the crossing regularly during the 2012 Olympics and since then usage has increased at the crossing where trains pass at up to 85mph.

Three incidents have taken place at a crossing in the last month, where pedestrians and cyclists crossed the railway in front of an oncoming train. In one of those incidents, which has been captured on CCTV, three pedestrians, including one with a buggy, had to run across in order to avoid being killed or seriously injured.

CCTV footage also captured the moment an adult and child were involved in a near miss in July. They approached the crossing, looking in the direction of the train, before opening a safety gate and running across two sets of tracks, reaching safety just five seconds before the train arrived.

There have also been incidents of crossing users wearing headphones or using mobile phones, which could prevent them from hearing an approaching train, groups of youths loitering on the tracks and one young person sitting and lying down on the crossing.

Work will start later this month to build a footbridge, as part of Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan, which will coincide with the closure of the pedestrian crossing, and provide a safer way of crossing the railway. The crossing keeper will control the opening and closing of the gates for cars, horses and pedestrians with limited mobility who can’t use the bridge. The bridge will provide access into Lee Valley Park.

Richard Schofield, Network Rail’s route managing director for Anglia, said: "The high number of incidents at this crossing is very concerning and has led to our decision to close it. We appreciate that the crossing is well used and that is why we are putting a footbridge in place, so that people can still cross the railway at this point much more safely. We are committed to improving safety at level crossings as part of Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan."