Crawley:Drivers Caught On Level Crossing
21 January 2014, 16:16 | Updated: 21 January 2014, 18:21
Network Rail have released videos of CCTV footage showing drivers and pedestrians in Sussex and Surrey ignoring flashing lights and warning sirens at level crossings.
Footage from CCTV cameras showing people misusing level crossings in the southeast has been revealed today, as Network Rail closes its 750th crossing since 2010.
Police CCTV picked up a car overtaking on a blind bend in an attempt to cross Berwick Level Crossing, in East Sussex, while the barriers descended, while a tipper truck was caught running the lights, and narrowly missing the falling barriers at Ashtead. Another CCTV van picked up a driver taking a chance at Crawley's Brighton Road level crossing.
Where the company can't close level crossings, it has pledged to make them safer.
Robin Gisby, managing director of network operations for Network Rail, said: "Reaching our target to close 750 crossings in four years is good news for Network Rail, train operators and of course the public, but we cannot be complacent. There is much more we can do to make the level crossings that remain safer and we will continue to introduce new technology, upgrade crossings to include lights or barriers where appropriate and work with schools, communities and other organisations to spread awareness of our safety message.
"We've pledged to close a further 500 level crossings in the next five years. Successfully closing a crossing isn't always a straightforward process, so we will need the support from local authorities, landowners and the public to help us achieve our new target and improve safety further still."
Since 2010, Network Rail has invested £131m in a national level crossings improvement programme, which by the end of March will have resulted in:
- 38 footbridges to replace crossings
- 57 new spoken warnings installed to announce "another train is coming" when one train has already passed through
- Obstacle detection radar technology installed at 13 sites