Wareham level crossing - one of the most misused in the country?

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

Network Rail are trying to educate people not to 'run the risk' on level crossings: for example, at one level crossing at Wareham, in May, in the space of just 12 days, three people were filmed risking their own lives, and those of others, by 'taking a chance'.  From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Woman risks baby at rail crossing

Network Rail has released footage of pedestrians risking their lives at a level crossing in Dorset, including a mother pushing her baby in a pram. A video shows the woman running across the track with her child moments before a train passed.

The body, which runs the rail network, said the crossing in Wareham was among the worst in the country for people crossing on a red light.

Two other images show people crossing as a train approaches.

The incidents happened at the crossing near Wareham railway station between 1 and 12 May.

Network Rail has released the images as part of its Don't Run the Risk campaign, which aims to improve safety awareness at level crossings.

Iain Coucher, Network Rail chief executive, said: "The rules around level crossings are clear and simple. When the lights flash or the barriers are down, don't cross - a train is approaching."

An update on the Wareham level crossing debate, from the BBC:

Residents fight crossing closure

Plans to close a "dangerous" pedestrian railway crossing in Dorset are causing anger among local people.

CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) footage released by Network Rail showed pedestrians risking their lives at Wareham crossing, including a mother pushing her baby in a pram. It said it was one of the worst in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) for people crossing on a red light and it wanted to close it in December.

Residents fighting to save the crossing claim its closure would cut the town in half. It is the main route for pedestrians and cyclists to get from one side of Wareham to the other.

The body, which runs the rail network, said no final decision had been made but it had done all it could to improve safety, including installing CCTV, publicising the dangers and putting police at the crossing. It said members of the public were putting themselves at risk by misusing the crossing and installing electronic gates "wouldn't stop the abuse".

A public meeting is being held on Wednesday night to discuss plans to close the crossing.
 
Annette Brooke, Liberal Democrat MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) for Mid-Dorset and North Poole, raised their issue in Parliament. "The town is fortunate in being on the main London to Weymouth line, but as a consequence it does have a barrier which potentially can split the town into two," she told the Commons. "The closure would have a disastrous impact on the vitality of the town, on the business communities, social activities and the whole wider community. Wareham is a vibrant town with many restaurants and pubs, many individual shops and it is of course suffering from the recession. My constituents, from the far side of the railway do walk and cycle into town for many activities. A recent survey showed how 1,200 people use the crossing in just one day."

[Chris from Nailsea]

A further update on the Wareham level crossing, from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Barriers plan for rail crossing

Electronic locking gates could be installed at a railway crossing in Dorset where pedestrians have been seen risking their lives to cross.

Network Rail said the Wareham station crossing was one of the worst in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) for people crossing on a red light. It has previously released CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) footage showing a mother pushing her baby in a pram in front of an oncoming train.

Dorset County Council wants to erect gates surrounded by fencing as a temporary measure to avoid it closing.

Network Rail's plans to shut the level crossing in December were supported by safety regulators but residents have protested saying it would cut the town in half.

The council said it had received the support of Network Rail and the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about)) for its plan but both bodies have to formally approve the plan before the gates can be installed. They would be controlled by a supervisor and would allow the crossing to be cleared of pedestrians when a train is coming. The gates would cost about ^20,000 to install and between ^65,000 and ^120,000 per year to man, it said. They would be a temporary solution until plans for a new footbridge or gates controlled remotely by CCTV are finalised with Network Rail and the ORR, the council said.

Councillor Geoffrey Brierley, cabinet member for transport, said: "The county council is mindful of the need to preserve pedestrian links for the benefit of Wareham while ensuring public safety. We will work closely with the community to provide a long-term solution that meets their needs and will ensure that all options are considered."

[Kingfisherdart]

Using Wareham at least twice a week, I can confirm that closing the crossing would be a major headache for the people who use it - as it provides the only disabled access across the railway line for a considerably distance (miles) in either direction. The only alternative pedestrian crossing in the area, is the footbridge at the station.

I would suggest manned gates are the solution - with automatic gates controlled by the adjacent signal box the longer term solution.

Luke

[Chris from Nailsea]

Another update on the Wareham level crossing story, from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Gates to go up at Wareham danger crossing

New electronic gates are set to be installed at a Dorset railway crossing where pedestrians have been seen risking their lives to cross.
Work starts next week at the Wareham station crossing which Network Rail said was among the worst in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) for people crossing on a red light.
It has previously released CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) footage showing a mother pushing her baby in a pram in front of an oncoming train.
Dorset County Council said it was "one of the most dangerous in the country".
Network Rail wanted to shut the level crossing in December, a decision supported by safety regulators, but residents protested that it would cut the town in half.
Instead transport police and private security guards were brought in to supervise the crossing.
The new gates will be manually controlled by a supervisor and will allow the crossing to be cleared of pedestrians when a train is coming.
Installation work will begin on Monday and is expected to take six to eight weeks to complete.
It will be a temporary solution until plans for a new footbridge or gates controlled remotely by CCTV are finalised.
A spokesman for Dorset County Council, which manages the crossing, said: "The un-gated crossing [at Wareham] has been identified as one of the most dangerous in the country due to the problem of people ignoring the warning lights. Network Rail, Dorset County Council and the local community are working together to find a safe, permanent solution. Until a new way to cross the railway on foot, bike or mobility scooter can be agreed, the temporary gates and fencing will ensure that people can continue to safely use the existing crossing. The measures will also help stop the dangerous misuse by a significant minority of people that has recently been captured on CCTV."
Network Rail hopes to have the station footbridge, which was shut because of frost damage, reopened in the next few weeks.

[Chris from Nailsea]

An update, from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Wareham's 'dangerous' station crossing earmarked for closure

A level crossing in Dorset branded one of the most dangerous in the country has been earmarked for closure.

The Wareham station crossing has more than three times the number of incidents than any other crossing in the South West area.

Network Rail said it was part of a national programme of closures and was in talks with Dorset and Purbeck councils about an alternative route.

A date for the closure is yet to be announced.

Two years ago, manually operated gates were installed at the railway crossing in the centre of the town as a temporary solution.

Before the barriers were installed CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) revealed people were putting their lives at risk for the sake of saving a few minutes.

The footage included a mother pushing her baby in a pram while an oncoming train headed their way.

Dorset County Council, which manages the crossing, said at the time it was "one of the most dangerous in the country".

The only alternative to the crossing is a nearby footbridge, which poses difficulties for people with prams or pushchairs, the elderly and people with disabilities.

[onthecushions]

Looks like NR^» (Network Rail - home page) are rightly fed up with the locals risking all.

Almost the opposite of "use it or lose it"

I'm amazed the crossing at Wokingham hasn't caused more trouble, with masses of pedestrians and cars having to queue across the LC^▸ (Level Crossing) to reach the roundabout 20 yards to the North. It does have supervision though.

OTC

[adc82140]

Wokingham LC^▸ (Level Crossing) really does need to become a camera enforced yellow box junction zone, like some areas of London. The rule is then absolutely clear.