Skip to main content

Cameras to target dangerous drivers at West Sussex level crossing

The UK’s Network Rail is installing red light safety cameras at a level crossing in West Sussex to stop drivers putting lives at risk. The new cameras will be equipped with number plate recognition technology, meaning motorists misusing the crossing can now be automatically identified and prosecuted by British Transport Police. These types of cameras were first introduced on Britain’s rail network in 2015 and, according to Network Rail, have since proven to be extremely successful with driver non-comp
February 10, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
The UK’s 5021 Network Rail is installing red light safety cameras at a level crossing in West Sussex to stop drivers putting lives at risk.

The new cameras will be equipped with number plate recognition technology, meaning motorists misusing the crossing can now be automatically identified and prosecuted by British Transport Police.

These types of cameras were first introduced on Britain’s rail network in 2015 and, according to Network Rail, have since proven to be extremely successful with driver non-compliance down by as much as 90 per cent at some crossings.

Located on the busy Sussex West Coastway rail line between Barnham and Ford stations, Yapton level crossing is one of the most misused crossings in the south east, with incidents of drivers jumping red lights, vehicles striking and weaving around barriers and queuing over the crossing as the barriers come down occurring almost daily.  In one recent incident, a motorist drove onto the track causing 21 train cancellations and severe service disruption which cost the rail industry US$200,000 (£160,000).

Yapton is a half barrier level crossing which is triggered automatically by approaching trains. In addition to the barriers which descend, there are flashing warning lights and an audible ‘yodel’ alarm to alert road users and pedestrians that a train is approaching. On average, 300 trains pass over the crossing each day. The full line speed of 75mph has been reduced to 35mph to reduce the likelihood a collision between a train and vehicle.

Related Content

  • September 18, 2014
    TfL upgrades London’s speed and red light safety cameras
    Transport for London (TfL) has begun work on a programme to overhaul the capital’s road safety camera network; replacing hundreds of old wet film cameras with modern and more efficient digital safety cameras in order to help further reduce casualties on London’s roads. According to TfL, safety cameras have proved successful in reducing road casualties in recent years. At locations where safety cameras operate in the capital, research shows that the number of people killed or seriously injured (KSI) fell
  • April 30, 2015
    The UK’s busiest crossing adopts free flow charging
    Colin Sowman looks at the transition to free-flow charging on the Dartford Crossing, a notorious congestion blackspot on the UK motorway network. The Dartford Crossing, where London’s orbital M25 motorway crosses the lower reaches of the River Thames 32km (20 miles) to the east of Central London, has long been a major source of congestion. Now, to alleviate the congestion caused by some 50 million crossings per year, the Highways Agency has adopted a free-flow charging system - but the Crossing’s location a
  • December 6, 2013
    Transmax trials emergency vehicle ‘green wave’
    Existing equipment used in Australian emergency vehicle ‘green wave’ trial. Despite the lights and sirens, accidents between the motoring public and emergency vehicles on their way to/from the scene of an incident are relatively frequent. Figures from various sources indicate that road accidents are the second most frequent cause of death for on-duty fire fighter fatalities and that more than 90% of ambulance and fire engine accidents occur when the lights are on and the sirens wailing. Other studies indica
  • July 24, 2017
    Traffex snapshot reveals enforcement advances
    An indication of just how far beyond spot speed and red light the enforcement sector has progressed was evident in the range of new and improved equipment on display at the recent Traffex event in Birmingham. One of the key trends, particularly in the UK but also evident elsewhere, is the increase in average speed enforcement, according to RedSpeed’s managing director Robert Ryan, who predicts a big increase in installations this year. “The price point has reached a level authorities can afford,” he says, a