Ross rail campaigners sense victory
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A HARD-HITTING report calling for the installation of barriers at open level crossings in communities across Ross-shire has been welcomed by campaigners.
A series of safety recommendations tabled in a report by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch of the UK Department for Transport follows the deaths of three members of the same family at an opening crossing in Halkirk in September 2009.
Two teenagers died at the level crossing at Delny near Invergorrdon in February 2007 following after the car they were in was in collision with a train.
The report recommends that 13 of the 21 automatic open level crossings in the Highlands should either have barriers installed or be closed completely.
Those targeted for immediate improvements include Delny, two of the three in Dingwall, Garve, Strathcarron and Halkirk.
The Ross-shire Journal has also campaigned for improvements following a spare of near-misses reported by readers down the years.
While the RAIB recommendations are not legally binding, Network Rail has already told the Ross-shire Journal "they do obviously carry great weight with both ourselves and the ORR (Office of Rail Regulation), the industry regulator".
Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch MSP Dave Thompson welcomed the report which comes on the back of a campaign he has waged since election to the Scottish Parliament in 2007. He has highlighted the dangers of rail level crossings which do not have a barrier to stop motorists straying into the path of an oncoming train.
In 2010 he conducted a major public consultation exercise which revealed that 86 per cent of the area’s population want to see their safety improved by the addition of barriers to level crossings.
Mr Thompson said, "This is an extremely positive development in my long-running campaign for the addition of barriers at level crossings to help end the appalling toll of accidents at this hazardous type of crossing, of which there are 21 out of Scotland’s total of 23 in the Highlands.
"My public consultation on this issue helped to convince more organisations, such as the Highland Council, to put their weight behind the campaign but still Network Rail continued to argue against the need for barriers.
"Now this comprehensive report from the RAIB has come to the same conclusion, vindicating my campaign, but this organisation has the power to convince Network Rail to take the action I and many others have been calling for.
"I, therefore, look for immediate action from Network Rail to implement the recommendations of this important report which will vastly increase the safety of Highland level crossings."
A spokesman for Network Rail said, "Network Rail are developing and implementing a substantial programme of activity, aiming to reduce the level of risk at level crossings by 25 per cent by 2014.
"We have already closed over 400 level crossings across Britain in the last two years and we will continue to try and close as many crossings as we can, where it is locally acceptable to do so. We will continue to introduce engineering and technological solutions to improve safety at lower costs.
"Our awareness campaign reaches millions of people every year explaining why it is so important to obey the warning signs and signals at level crossings and our dedicated community safety and operations teams continue to work with local authorities, users, the British Transport Police and other groups to improve awareness.
"We are also developing a lower cost, shorter barrier that could be used to convert an AOCL (open crossing) to an AOCL+Barrier crossing. We have a concept design for this infrastructure and consideration is currently being given to the barrier design and trial locations in partnership with the ORR. We would aim to be able to trial the barriers later this year."
The RAIB report "Investigation Into The Safety Of Automatic Open Level Crossings On Network Rail’s Managed Infrastructure" can be found at:
http://www.raib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/110728_R122011_AOCLs%20Class%20Inv.pdf
