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

  • January 12, 2016
    Driver with 51 penalty points still allowed to drive
    Three drivers with more than 40 points on their driving licences are still allowed on the road, according to a Freedom of Information request to the DVLA by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM). The enquiry also found that 13 people in Britain currently have 28 or more points on their driving licence, the worst of those amassing 51 points. In addition, the numbers of drivers with 12 or more points has gone up by nine per cent in just seven months between March and October 2015 – from 6,884 to 7,517.
  • April 19, 2012
    WCCTV tower wins type-approval
    UK-headquartered mobile surveillance solutions manufacturer WCCTV has announced that its Tower product has been granted Type Approval status for use on UK railway infrastructure by Network Rail. The Tower, the only equipment of its kind to win type approval, is a complete all in one surveillance system which has been designed to operate at trackside. It is non-conductive and can be quickly and easily installed. The system can be self-powering for up to eiht weeks and provides live video from a heavy duty ca
  • July 4, 2012
    WCCTV tower wins type-approval
    UK-headquartered mobile surveillance solutions manufacturer WCCTV has announced that its Tower product has been granted Type Approval status for use on UK railway infrastructure by Network Rail. The Tower, the only equipment of its kind to win type approval, is a complete al-in-one surveillance system which has been designed to operate at trackside. It is non-conductive and can be quickly and easily installed. The system can be self-powering for up to eight weeks and provides live video from a heavy duty c
  • May 29, 2013
    City Safety reduces low speed accidents on Volvo’s XC60 and S60
    It was four years ago that Volvo introduced its City Safety collision avoidance system which is designed to reduce the number and severity of low-speed accidents to the US market. However, a study in America by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) has shown that the results may not be as good as initially indicated by an earlier report. According to Volvo, statistics show that 75% of reported collisions occur at speeds of up to 30km/h (18.6mph) typically in urban traffic and in slow-moving traffic queues