Media centre

Monday 8 Oct 2012

TELEVISION ADVERT URGES PEOPLE TO ‘SEE TRACK, THINK TRAIN’ (Wessex)

Region & Route:

Southern: Wessex

| Southern

A new television advert has been launched to raise awareness of safety at footpath level crossings and encourage people to ‘see track, think train’.

The powerful message will raise awareness and highlight that despite a quiet, rural setting, paying attention to the railway and warning signs can save your life.

The advert, which has been developed by Network Rail and South West Trains, shows a family on a day out playing “I spy” as they cycle through the countryside. The game distracts them and as the daughter tries to guess what the letter t stands for, she is suddenly standing on the track in the path of a train.

The advert highlights that everyone should treat approaching rail footpath crossings the same as if they were approaching a busy road - even in quiet rural areas.

Tim Shoveller, managing director of the Network Rail and South West Trains alliance, said: “While fatalities at level crossings are at a low, it’s important to continue to raise awareness to help keep people safe when crossing the railway. We appreciate that it’s easy to get distracted – particularly in quiet, rural surroundings – and not realise the risk at a footpath level crossing. Just as motorways cut through the countryside so do railways - but without the constant flow of traffic and noise to make people aware of the dangers.

“We’re doing all we can to make the railway safer by upgrading crossings or closing them if we can, but we hope this advert will raise awareness that we all need to take care and look out for the warning signs ahead of every level crossing; doing so can save your life.”

This campaign, with a focus on pedestrian safety, follows Network Rail and South West Train’s summer online video with rap artist Professor Green, asking people to remove their headphones at level crossings so they aren’t’ distracted from safety warnings.

Nationally, Network Rail has a £130m investment programme to improve level crossing safety. This includes:

A closure programme which will see 750 crossings removed from the network by April 2014. More than 600 have already been closed.

Replacing footpath crossings with footbridges

Installing warning lights as an additional safety measure at footpath crossings

A new schools programme – Rail Life – teaching both primary and secondary school children about how to stay safe when crossing the railway

Rolling out 10 more camera enforcement vans

Investing in new technology including obstacle detection lasers

Introducing new cost effective barriers to open crossings

Employing more than 100 new dedicated level crossing managers

Community safety managers who work closely with local groups, councils and schools to raise awareness