INCIDENT: Cosham CCTV, Hampshire 09.04.08

A woman died when she was struck by a descending barrier at a CCTV controlled crossing.

Celia Matthews was reported to be in the middle of Cosham crossing when the closure sequence was initiated. A barrier struck her on the head and she fell to the ground. She died of her injuries four days later.

The signaller is claimed to have said that Mrs Matthews only started to cross after the closure sequence had begun.

Other pedestrian users have claimed that the crossing closes too quickly and that some have been stranded rail side when trains have passed.

A Network Rail spokesman said that an investigation in conjunction with HMRI into the incident.

UPDATE: The Office of Rail Regulation subsequently served two improvement notices against Network Rail in relation to the operation of the crossing; that the time taken from when the Cosham level crossing barriers begin to descend until they reach the lowered position for both the left hand and right hand barriers is too fast (less than 6 to 10 seconds) and that the road surface at Cosham level crossing has not been maintained in a good and even condition, and was in use with loose, misaligned road panels and unacceptable gaps. Both improvement notices have now been complied with.

http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/impnot-cosham_cctv_lx_270508.pdf
http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/impnot-cosham_cctv_lx_150508.pdf

Photo (c) Basher Eyre on Geograph