Media centre

Tuesday 25 Aug 2015

Temporary closure of St Albans footpath level crossing

Region & Route:

| Eastern

A level crossing where nearly 250 incidents of misuse were recorded over a nine-day period has been temporarily closed by Network Rail. 

Cotton Mill Lane footpath level crossing in St Albans was monitored by Network Rail’s level crossing team for nine days earlier this month.

Among the 248 incidents recorded were 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.

Based on the evidence a decision was made for an emergency closure while Network Rail looks at options to permanently close the level crossing and provide users with a safer alternative for crossing the railway.

Gemma Duffy, route level crossing manager, said: "The high number of incidents of misuse raised serious concerns within our safety team, prompting the emergency closure of this crossing with immediate effect.

"Trains travel on this section of line at speeds of up to 50mph and because of the track layout and curve of the line, the visibility of an approaching train by anyone using the crossing is limited. We are committed to improving safety at level crossings wherever possible and we will work with the local authority and crossing users to improve safety at this crossing as soon as possible." 

Network Rail is working with both the parish and county council and will communicate with local people as soon as possible to discuss the crossing and provide updates about its future.

Network Rail is investing £100million into its programme to improve level crossing safety between up until 2019. Since 2010 it has:

• Closed over 930 level crossings across the country
• Replaced footpath crossings with footbridges
• Installing warning lights as an additional safety measure at footpath crossings
• Launched a new schools programme – Rail Life – teaching both primary and secondary school children about how to stay safe when crossing the railway
• Rolled out safety camera enforcement vans
• Invested in new technology such as the obstacle detection radar technology
• Introduced power operated gate openers
• Installed spoken warnings to announce when “another train is coming” after one train has passed through
• Employed more than 100 new dedicated level crossing managers