REPORT: RSSB Summary of Safety Performance January 2007

The Rail Safety and Standards Board have released their latest Summary of Safety Performance.

It summarises the four pedestrian fatalities that occurred at level crossings in January.

RSSB: http://tinyurl.com/26voho

INCIDENT: Ffynnongain UWC+MSL Camarthenshire 24/02/07

A car and a train collided on a user worked crossing at Ffynongain Lane, near St Clears.

No injuries were reported.

INCIDENT: Gailes Road AHB, Irvine 23/02/07

A Network Rail van and an Ayr-Glasgow passenger train collided at a half-barrier crossing near to Gailes golf club in Ayrshire.

The van driver was killed. Robert Davis Watkins, 37, was reported to have been a Network Rail employee.

Minor injuries were reported to the driver and guard of the otherwise empty passenger train.

Initial reports suggest that the van was driven onto the track but the driver got out as the train approached the crossing.












Picture: Evening News

BBC News: http://tinyurl.com/24a5a9
BBC News: http://tinyurl.com/ywt8u4
Evening Times: http://tinyurl.com/yqba9f

INQUEST: Elsenham

A jury has returned verdicts of accidental death in the case of two teenage girls killed on Elsenham station pedestrian crossing in 2005.

Charlotte Thompson, 13, of Thaxted, Essex, and Olivia Bazlinton, 14, of Elsenham, Essex, died when they were struck by a through express train at the station. They had crossed against the warning lights to try and catch a train on the opposite platform.

The inquest was told a report into the incident by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch noted that the crossing was one of the highest-risk crossings on the network. John Tilly, from Her Majesty's Rail Inspectorate, told the inquiry that the crossing operated as it should do.

BBC News: http://tinyurl.com/25chpj

UPDATE: Delny AOC

A second person has died following the collision at Delny automatic open crossing.

Alan Thain, 17, who was a passenger in the car, died in hospital. Fellow passenger Paul Oliver, also 17, died at the scene of the accident.

The third person involved, believed to be the driver, is still in hospital. Richard Fleming, 17, is said to be in a 'comfortable' condition in Raigmore hospital, Inverness.

Network Rail reported that the crossing passed its annual maintenance check last month and appeared to be working properly on the day.

Locals have expressed concern about the safety of automatic open crossings and there have been suggestions that all 27 AOCs in Scotland should be converted to automatic half-barriers. Also suggested has been the introduction of additional warning lights some distance before an open crossing.

This incident follows a collision at an open crossing in January, where no-one was injured (see post on Dingwall Middle).

BBC News: http://tinyurl.com/2bqkuf
Ross-shire Journal: http://tinyurl.com/yspsz4
Ross-shire Journal: http://tinyurl.com/2ddjvq
Northern Times: http://tinyurl.com/2goxp5
Scotsman: http://tinyurl.com/2zc32b

INCIDENT: Delny AOC 02/02/07

A car was in collision with a passenger train at an open crossing near Invergordon.

Initial reports state that one of the car's occupants was killed and the two others were seriously injured.

No injuries were reported on the Inverness to Wick train, which did not derail.

















Picture: BBC News

BBC News: http://tinyurl.com/25zzja