A level crossing near Margam has reopened to the public following its temporary closure in June after several significant recorded incidents forced the closure of the crossing.

Despite the Heol-y-Beliad crossing being closed for four months, 61 incidents still occurred at the crossing, which links a public right of way across the South Wales Mainline to the local beach.

These incidents were recorded on Network Rail’s CCTV cameras as part of the crossings’ onsite security. The cameras managed to capture unsafe behaviour by members of the public, with some people forcing entry through the fencing and lifting E-bikes and Scooters, prohibited on any railway property, over the locked gates. Even more shocking, children were also being lifted over the gates.

The South Wales Mainline has a maximum line speed of 125 mph on the section which passes over the level crossing, which leaves those who misuse it no time to react, with trains bearing down on the crossing at such speed.

In recent weeks, Network Rail staff have installed high 2.4m Palisade fencing on both sides of the line to discourage anyone from climbing or lifting items over the gates. They have also installed larger eye-catching safety signage.

Network Rail is continuing to remind locals that no journey to surf or to spend a day at the beach is worth risking your life for, especially when the crossing involved is already closed and out of use to the public.

The long-term safety of the crossing is a priority for Network Rail; they are in regular talks with Neath Port Talbot Council, DB Cargo and Tata Steel to ensure it is safe for everyone to use.

“We know how important this route is to the local community, but the level of misuse we were seeing was deeply concerning

We’ve had people ignoring safety instructions, climbing fences and even carrying bikes with children attached across a live railway. These behaviours are extremely dangerous – trains travel at high speeds and cannot stop quickly.

We want to thank everyone for their patience while we’ve carried out this work, and we urge everyone to always use level crossings safely and responsibly.”

Dean Jenkins, Level Crossing Manager at Network Rail Wales and Borders route

CCTV has managed to capture several people misusing level crossings across the country over the last 18 months. The consequences of not paying attention at railway crossings have once again been brought to public attention following the conclusion of a fatal incident when an 11-year-old was killed by a train in South London while crossing the line while looking at his phone.