British Transport Police has warned drivers and pedestrians of the terrible consequences of misusing level crossings
The warning comes as several incidents have been recorded at the Kintbury level crossing in Berkshire which has seen both drivers and pedestrians flout warning signals and making their crossings as the barriers were coming down. One incident even saw a person climb over the barriers once they were down in order to beat the train across the tracks.
In a recent two day period (Monday the 28th of February to Tuesday the 1st of March 2022) a shocking three incidents were recorded which saw drivers totally disregarding the imminent danger making a mad dash to get over the level crossing before the oncoming train.
The location is now being patrolled by officers and cameras have been put in place to record incidents of misuse which will allow British Transport Police to pursue prosecution of any offenders.
BTP Embedded Inspector Darren Burridge said: “Level crossings should be treated with respect. Safety procedures are there for a reason – by trying to beat the system you are not only risking your life, but potentially the lives of passengers and the driver of the oncoming train.
“Fortunately, the recent incidents have been near-misses. However, had the train arrived just seconds sooner it could have been a very different story.
“Have a little patience and wait until it's safe to cross – it really isn't worth risking your life in order to save a few minutes.”
Steve Melanophy, project lead for route crime at Network Rail said: “We are incredibly worried about the spike in the number of level crossing misuse incidents in Kintbury recently.
“Trains can't stop quickly, even when the emergency brake is applied, so deliberate misuse could easily result in life-changing injuries or worse, loss of life.
“Together with BTP we are urging people not to trespass and to use level crossings responsibly – it is not worth risking your life. The warning signals, barriers and lights are there for your safety.
“We will continue to work with BTP to warn people of the dangers of level crossing misuse, educate them about the consequences and hopefully keep everyone safe.”
