Network Rail has announced that Poole High Street level crossing is the most misused level crossing in Dorset.
Network Rail has also released a compilation of the misuse at the Level Crossing. The railway level crossing has seen more than a 1/3 of all incidents in Dorset happen here.
Despite the warning lights, cyclists and pedestrians have been seen risking their lives to make the crossing before a train comes.
Eighty-six incidents were recorded at level crossings in Dorset in the last year, of these, 36% were recorded at Poole High Street level crossing.
Here is the video:
What did the officials say?
Sam Pead, Network Rail’s level crossing manager for the region, said:
“The cyclists and pedestrians from this footage were extremely lucky to have avoided serious harm – the consequences could have been so much worse.
“Incidents of this nature, particularly where people think they can make it over the level crossing before the barrier closes, are worryingly common in Dorset- particularly at Poole High Street- and we are working with local authorities to educate people on the dangers of deliberately misusing crossings.
“There are no excuses for attempting to use level crossing when the lowering sequence is active – it’s not just potential criminal proceedings that you’re risking, it’s also your life.”
Allan Spence, head of public and passenger safety at Network Rail, explains:
“A lack of knowledge around how dangerous the tracks can be means more people are not taking the proper care at level crossings and putting themselves in danger.
“We are investing more than £100m to improve level crossing safety across Britain as part of the Railway Upgrade Plan, but we also need everyone who uses level crossings to do their bit too. By understanding how to use a crossing safety and paying attention to the warnings at level crossings, we can all keep ourselves out of harm’s way.”
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Responses
Just like what happened at Grays in Essex. Why do people not know that the barriers are coming down when the trains are coming. Yet more fatalities are happening whilst £millions have been spent on installing new footbridges and foot-underpasses for pedestrians to cross over or underneath the railways.
Also level crossings that are used with traffic also to be upgraded with bridges and underpasses. As more level crossings are to close to prevent railway accidents and near misses.