INCIDENT: Halkirk AOCL, Caithness 29.09.09

Three people died when their vehicle was struck by a passenger train on an automatic open crossing in Caithness.

Angus MacKay (81), his wife Margaret MacKay (81) and his brother Donald MacKay (66) died when their car was hit on the Halkirk Bridge Street crossing by the 1038 service from Inverness to Wick. No casualties were reported on the train, which did not derail.

A Network Rail spokesman said that an initial investigation showed there was "nothing to suggest that the crossing was not functioning correctly at the time of the collision". The Rail Accident Investigation Board is carrying out an investigation into the incident.

Comment; With AOCLs accounting for only 2% of Network Rail’s crossings, but 31% of all road-rail collisions in the last ten years - including several multiple fatalities - the feasibility of such crossings maintaining their maximum line speed of 55mph ought to be called into question.

BBC News: http://bit.ly/3WwHUf

Photo (c) John Baikie, as reproduced on the BBC website

INCIDENT: Foxcovert Road FP, Cambridgeshire 07.09.09

A two year old child was killed after he was struck by a passenger train on a footpath crossing in Cambridgeshire.

Reports suggest that the child opened the swing gate to the crossing in Werrington and ran onto the track. He was then hit by a Lincoln to Peterborough passenger train and died instantly.

A Network Rail spokesman said: "Recent inspections of the crossing found it to be in good order with good sight lines, spring-loaded gates, clear safety signage and far higher levels of safety than any road crossing with fencing. The crossing met all our safety regulator's requirements for such a crossing."

Local councillors have campaigned in recent years to have the crossing's protection upgraded.

Peterborough Today: http://bit.ly/4igGsT http://bit.ly/LLuXn

Photo (c) Southern Daily Echo

INCIDENT: Penrhyndeudraeth UWC+T, Gwynedd 02.09.09

A woman died when her vehicle was struck by a locomotive on a user worked crossing in Gwynedd.

Sally Hudson drove onto the Penrhyndeudraeth crossing near her home and was struck by a Class 37 test locomotive on a training run from Machynlleth to Porthmadog. Mrs Hudson died at the scene. None of the loco crew were injured.

It is not known at this time whether Mrs Hudson used the telephone at the crossing to request permission to cross.

Photo (c) Rob Formstone

ABUSE: Langley Green MCB

Langley Green in the West Midlands is one of the most abused level crossings in the UK, by both motorists and pedestrians. Not surprisingly, it was chosen by the BBC in August as a location for a live news report about railway crime and trespass.

Also not surprisingly, the camera crew caught a pedestrian dodging the barriers as the crossing was closing, as the above still shows.

More photos and details can be found on the Daily Mail website.

Photo (c) BBC

INCIDENT: Bog Hall Farm UWC, Durham 13.08.09

A motorist was struck by a freight train on a user worked crossing in County Durham.

The unnamed woman was reported to have edged her Mazda out onto the crossing, at Bog Hall near Stillington, to get a clearer view of the track. The vehicle was struck by a Fiddlers Ferry - Middlesbrough freight train operated by Great British Rail Freight. No injuries were reported and the train did not derail.

Comment - this photo was taken in 2006; reports suggest that the crossing is currently gated.

Photo (c) Hugh Mortimer at www.geograph.org.uk

INCIDENT: Cults Mill UWC, Springfield, Fife 08.08.09

A teenager was killed after being struck by a train on a crossing in Fife, Scotland.

Natalie Mulholland, 16, was hit by a First ScotRail service from Edinburgh to Dundee around 11.30pm. The user-worked crossing is on a private access road to a farm near the village of Springfield. Reports suggest that a group of youths were making their way back to the village over the crossing when the incident occurred.

Photo (c) thescottishsun.co.uk

INCIDENT: Dalchalm AOCL, Sutherland 07.08.09

A refuse lorry and a passenger train collided at an automatic open crossing on Scotland's most incident-prone line.

The rear of a Highland Council refuse lorry was clipped by the 1038 Inverness-Wick passenger train on the Dalchalm crossing near Brora. No injuries were reported and the train did not derail.

Several of the eleven automatic open crossings on the Inverness-Wick line have been the scene of incidents in recent years, including a multiple fatality at Delny in 2007.

Photo (c) The Northern Times

INCIDENT: Fairbourne AOCL, Gwynedd 14.05.09 and 27.06.09

Two collisions in six weeks occurred at an automatic open crossing next to a station in Wales.

In the first incident on 14th May, a motorist said she was "distracted", ignoring the red light at the Fairbourne crossing and striking a Machynlleth to Pwllheli passenger service. No injuries resulted and the train did not derail. The motorist, Eileen Lawrence, 72, later admitted careless driving and was fined £40 with three penalty points, with £80 costs and £15 victim surcharge.

Weeks later in June, another motorist was involved in a collision at the crossing which resulted in her vehicle being pushed onto the station platform. She was airlifted to hospital; no injuries were reported on the train which did not derail. The driver of the Machynlleth to Pwllheli service was also involved in the May incident.

A similar incident at the crossing occurred in 2003. The formal inquiry into that incident recommended that the crossing be upgraded to automatic half-barrier; residents of Fairbourne continue to campaign for such work to be carried out.

Photo (c) SMJ on geograph.org.uk

INCIDENT: Fairfield UWC+MWL, Wiltshire 06.05.09

A woman and her dog were killed after being struck on a footpath crossing in Wiltshire.

Julia Canning was struck on the Fairfield foot crossing near Little Bedwyn by the 1708 hrs First Great Western service from Newbury to Bedwyn.

It was reported that she had lost control of her dogs and was trying to retrieve them from the line.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has launched an investigation.

NEAR MISSES: Tide Mills UWC

Network Rail has installed CCTV and additional signage at a crossing which has seen three near misses in a week. Train drivers have had to carry out emergency stops to avoid collisions on the Tide Mills user worked crossing near Newhaven, East Sussex.

Photo (c) Kevin Gordon at Geograph

ABUSE / PROSECUTION: Paignton MCB

Pedestrians and motorists continue to abuse the manual barrier crossing in Paignton, Devon.

Identified as one of the most abused crossings in the south west region, officials from Network Rail and British Transport Police ran an awareness session at Paignton in April - and witnessed six pedestrians running across after the lights and klaxons had triggered.

Between twenty and twenty five incidents of abuse are recorded at Paignton crossing every year. In February a woman driver was fined £190 and given three penalty points after pleading guilty to failing to stop at the red light there. Magistrates heard that local resident Margaret Powell was spotted slowing down as she approached the crossing then accelerating across the crossing.

INCIDENT: Eyton Lane AHB, Baschurch, Shropshire 03.04.09

A cyclist was killed after being struck by a train in Shropshire. Jonnie Woodhall, a competition cyclist and former tobogganing world record holder, was hit by a Birmingham-Chester passenger service on the automatic half-barrier crossing at Eyton Lane, Baschurch.

The RSSB reported that Mr Woodhall had attempted to zig-zag around the barriers.

Photo (c) Row17 on Flickr

INCIDENT: Peth Lane FP, 02.04.09

A man was killed on a footpath crossing in Tyne and Wear.

Gino Shepherd, 17, died instantly after being struck by a Northern Trains service on the Pleth Lane crossing. Reports suggest that Mr Shepherd had been listening to a music player and may have been distracted by this when he crossed.

REPORT: Tackley UWC+T

The Rail Accident Investigation Board have issued a report into the fatal accident at Tackley station crossing in 2008. Margaret Evans, 80, of St John’s Road, Tackley, died after being hit by a train at the level crossing. She had been trying to cross the tracks to catch a train to Oxford.

The report identified the immediate cause of the accident as the pedestrian stepping onto the crossing and into the path of the train. Possible causal factors were also identified, namely the pedestrian mistaking a fast train for the stopping service which was due at about the same time, or being unaware of the train’s approach due to an obstruction created by a poorly sited fence.

Recommendations by the RAIB include improvements to the visibility at the crossing as well as investigation into the practicality of installing miniature warning lights at the location.

Both the incident summary and full investigation report can be found here.

INCIDENT: Ardrossan Harbour AOCL, Ayrshire 24.01.09

A car was struck by a passenger train at an automatic open crossing in Ayrshire. The Rail Safety and Standards Board reported that the driver of the train had failed to operate the plunger which controls the warning lights at the crossing.

Photo (c) wfmillar at Geograph

INCIDENT: Barleston MCB 20.03.09

A man was killed after being struck by a train on a Staffordshine crossing.

Stuart Turner was hit by a Euston-Manchester passenger service at the manually-controlled barrier crossing at Barleston, Staffordshire.

The Rail Safety and Standards Board reported later than Mr Turner, under the influence of alcohol, had attempted to cross whilst the barriers were lowered. He fell on the line after catching a foot in the cattle grid.

TECHNOLOGY: Obstacle detection

Trials of the UK's first level crossing obstacle detection system have begun at a crossing in North Yorkshire.

The radar-style system is being installed at the manually controlled barrier crossing outside Filey station. It will operate after the barriers have been closed to check that the crossing is clear before the protecting signals can be cleared.

A Network Rail spokeswoman said that Filey had been chosen as it met 'various technical criteria' rather than any history of crossing misuse.

Comment: An interesting development, albeit not as revolutionary as some may think. Obstacle detection for MCB crossings could be a precursor to fully automated manual crossings, but for the foreseeable future it can only be an adjunct to the current CCTV system. Some observers claim that the technology would have prevented the recent incident at West Knapton AHB, but that would only have been the case if it were linked into protecting signals.

See the RSSB research report into obstacle detection for a fuller explanation of the background and technology.

NEAR MISS: Cleghorn MCB CCTV, Lanarkshire 10.02.09

Reports suggest that a school bus avoided a collision with a passenger train at a Scottish barrier crossing. Cleghorn has been upgraded to a manually controlled full barrier crossing after sustained abuse by motorists. Allegations have been made that the crossing has not been functioning correctly.

No other details were available.

Lanark Gazette:
http://www.lanarkgazette.co.uk/news/Nearmiss-at-Cleghorn-level-crossing.4966109.jp

Photo (c) Raymond Okonski at Geograph

UPDATE: Hythe 2008

A majority not guilty verdict was returned in a manslaughter case arising from a woman's death on a level crossing in 2008.

Darren Palmer had been alleged to have dragged his partner, Kelly Mack, over the Hythe MCB crossing against her will. Miss Mack caught her boot in the crossing and was subsequently struck by a train.

Both had climbed over the closed barriers at the crossing near Colchester in an attempt to reach the opposite platform for a departing service. Mr Palmer said he thought that Miss Mack was following him, but instead she had become caught up in the rails. A witness tried to pull her to safety but told how she "curled up into a ball" before being hit by the train.

Mr Palmer later commented that crossing the track when the barrier was down was "the stupidest mistake of my life".

INVESTIGATION: Bunchrew AOCL

An investigation into alleged failures at a Scottish automatic open crossing has revealed a battery used to power train detection gear was losing power.

The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) met with Network Rail over concerns that the warning lights at the crossing at Bunchrew, Invernessshire, had failed on several occasions.

A spokesman for ORR said: "The immediate cause of the failures was exhaustion of the battery power supply to track circuits, with underlying causes relating to local factors at the crossing and possibly the particular batch of batteries.

"The track circuits are used for train detection and thereby initiate crossing operation."

He added: "Network Rail have reassessed the demand made on the supplies at Bunchrew and have increased the frequency at which the batteries are replaced and are taking other steps to ensure that the problem does not recur.

"ORR will continue to monitor performance at the crossing and we note that there have been no further failures from this cause since remedial action was taken."

A spokesman for Network Rail said: "We have worked closely with the ORR throughout their investigation at Bunchrew level crossing and will be incorporating their recommendations into our regular maintenance regime."

INCIDENT: Attleborough MCG 11.02.09

A car collided with the gates at a manually controlled crossing in Norfolk.

British Transport Police said that the barriers were being closed when the Renault Clio approached the crossing and struck them.

An investigation into the cause of the incident is ongoing.

Photo (c) Ron Strutt on Geograph

INCIDENT: Moulinearn UWC MSL, Perthshire 08.02.09

A pedestrian was struck and killed on a user worked crossing at Moulinearn.

Frank Clifford, 94, was hit by the 0918 Inverness to Glasgow passenger service. The crossing, protected by minature stop lights, was the scene of a fatal collision between a car and a train in 2001.

BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/7876572.stm

Photo (c) BBC News

INCIDENT: West Knapton AHB, North Yorkshire 03.02.09

A car collided with a train on an automatic half-barrier crossing in Yorkshire.

The driver claimed to have been dazzled by the sun as he approached West Knapton AHB. He clipped a barrier and collided with the rear carriage of the 10.22 Liverpool to Scarborough TransPennine Express service. No injuries were reported on the train which did not derail. The driver sustained minor injuries.

British Tramsport Police have launched an investigation.

The Rail Safety and Standards Board reported in their February 2009 Summary of Safety Performance that the "road vehicle driver attempted to zigzag around the barriers".

Scarborough Evening News: http://bit.ly/scarboro_lc

Photo (c) The Press

CAMPAIGN: Don't Run The Risk 2009

Network Rail have released video footage of level crossing misuse as part of the ongoing Don't Run The Risk campaign.

Fifteen deaths and twenty rail-vehicle collisons were reported in 2008. Netwrok Rail say that 95% of accidents at level crossings can be attributed to public misuse or error.

A short compilation on the BBC News website.

Full video clips can be downloaded from the National Rail Media Centre here.

INCIDENT: Gwaun cae Gurwen AOC 02.02.09

A car was struck by a locomotive at a crossing on a recently reopened freight line.

Witnesses say that car skidded downhill onto the crossing in wintry conditions and was struck by a slow moving locomotive. No casualties were reported and the locomotive did not derail.

Police are considering prosecuting the driver for dangerous driving

County councillor Lynda Williams said the warning lights were insufficient and that gates or barriers ought to be installed.

Although trains have not run on the line for almost ten years, it was never formally closed. Frieght traffic began running again on January 12th this year. Network Rail carried out an awareness campaign in the area before the line became operational.

INCIDENT: Gatehead AHB 23.01.09

A teenage pedestrian was struck and killed by a passenger train on an AHB crossing in Scotland.

It has been reported that Robert Milloy may have been distracted by listening to music on earphones linked to his mobile phone. He was struck on the Gatehead crossing by the 1140 GMT Girvan to Kilmarnock service and died instantly.

A Network Rail spokesman said there had been no previous serious incidents at the crossing prior and a preliminary investigation found it to be in working order. Robert's father, Rab Milloy, wants Network Rail to carry out a risk assessment on the crossing.

Kilmarnock Standard: http://bit.ly/lc_gatehead

Photo (c) Rosser1954 at wikipedia

INCIDENT: Brandon MCB 22.01.09

A pedestrian died after being struck by a passenger train on a manually controlled barrier crossing on the Norfolk/Sufflok border.

Bury Free Press: http://bit.ly/lc_brandon

Photo (c) Keith Evans on Geograph

PROSECUTION: Lower Cefn Farm 2008

A lorry driver whose vehicle collided with a train at a user-worked level crossing near Welshpool last year has avoided a custodial sentence.

Arthur Roberts pleaded guilty to a charge of endangering railway passengers by wilful omission or neglect when he appeared at Welshpool Magistrates Court. In Spetmeber 2008, Roberts drove to Lower Cefn Farm over a UWC+T and failed to contact the signaller for permission to cross in either direction. On his return journey, the rear of his lorry was struck at 70mph by a Birmingham to Aberystwyth passenger service.

Roberts was given a four month custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid community work.

http://bit.ly/lc_buttington

INCIDENT: South Drove AHB, Lincolnshire 05.01.09

A woman died when her car crashed on a crossing in icy conditions and was then struck by a passenger train.

Moira Koune was driving over the South Drove AHB near Spalding, Lincolnshire, when her car was in collision with a Ford Transit van. Her car was stuck on the crossing when the barriers descended and was hit by the 0833 Peterborough to Lincoln passenger service. The van driver was able to steer clear of the crossing and was trying to reach Miss Koune's car when it was struck. No injuries were reported on the train, which did nor derail.

Photo (c) Richard Croft at geograph

REPORT: Moor Lane FP, Staines

The RAIB have issued their report into the pedestrian fatality at Moor Lane footpath crossing in April 2008. Mrs Theresa Mansell was killed after falling on the crossing and being struck by a passenger train.

They identified that Mrs Mansell did not stop to check that the line was clear before crossing. When she tried to turn and go back, she slipped on the timber crossing surface, which was described in the report as 'treacherous', and she was stranded in front of the oncoming train.

In their report, the RAIB noted that a non-slip surface to the crossing had been
considered by Railtrack in 1996 and requested by Her Majesty’s Railway Inspectorate (HMRI) in 2005. It further noted that the risk assessment processes operated for footpath crossings by Railtrack and more recently by Network Rail did not identify the risk of slipping on a timber surface, and as a result a non-slip surface was not provided at the crossing.

Network Rail have since applied a non-slip surface at Moor Lane and repainted white lines along the edges of the crossing.

RAIB report: http://bit.ly/raib_moor_lane_2