Skip to main content

Network Rail warns commuters after near misses with trains

Britain’s network Rail is warning commuters to take care on level crossings after new figures revealed that more than half of all near misses with trains at level crossings over the last five years took place during the evening rush hour. To combat the problem and help improve the safety of everyone who travels on or across the railway, Network Rail has launched a new level crossing safety awareness campaign targeting commuters, reminding them to take care at level crossings, particularly as they travel
March 3, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
Britain’s 5021 network Rail is warning commuters to take care on level crossings after new figures revealed that more than half of all near misses with trains at level crossings over the last five years took place during the evening rush hour.

To combat the problem and help improve the safety of everyone who travels on or across the railway, Network Rail has launched a new level crossing safety awareness campaign targeting commuters, reminding them to take care at level crossings, particularly as they travel home from work.

According to Network Rail, in the last five years, there have been more than 500 near misses involving cyclists, motorists and pedestrians during the peak travel hours for commuters –7-9am and 4-7pm. Six out of every ten of these incidents occur during the evening rush hours.

Network Rail’s campaign launch coincides with British Transport Police’s (BTP) Operation Look level crossing safety initiative.  BTP and Network Rail safety teams will be at level crossings across Britain today handing out leaflets and travel card holders carrying key safety messages and giving advice on how to use level crossings safely to commuters and other level crossing users.

Related Content

  • September 15, 2016
    UK motorists ‘relax attitudes’ on distracted driving
    Research for the RAC’s Report on Motoring 2016 has revealed that for some, attitudes towards handheld mobile use have worryingly relaxed over the last two years. The proportion of people who feel it is acceptable to take a quick call on a handheld phone has doubled from seven per cent in 2014 to 14 per cent in 2016 and the percentage of drivers who feel it is safe to check social media on their phone when in stationary traffic, either at traffic lights or in congestion, has increased from 14 per cent in
  • October 17, 2016
    Two seconds – the difference between life and death
    Professor Donald Fisher has spent 15 years identifying factors that increase the crash risk of novice and older drivers. His findings highlight the difference between living and dying, Colin Sowman reports.
  • April 19, 2017
    TEXpress adds reversible managed lanes
    Land availability restrictions and tidal traffic flows have led to the implementation of a novel managed lane configuration in Texas, as Colin Sowman finds out. Dealing with traffic congestion related to the ‘tidal flows’ caused by large numbers of commuters making their way into major business hubs in the morning and returning to the suburbs in the evening, has seen the widespread use of adaptive signal timing and even reversible lanes.
  • June 29, 2022
    Polis x Pride 2022: Mind the queer public transport gap
    Cities are striving to provide inclusive public transport for all. This cannot and will not be achieved without tackling gender and homophobic-based violence across our transit systems. While this is undoubtedly a major undertaking, Polis members — and their peers — are proving real action is possible...