A new partnership approach to improving safety at level crossings which could include joint rail industry-highway authority funding is to be piloted in Lincolnshire.
Network Rail has opened discussions on joint working with the local authority, in response to new government powers, set out in the Road Safety Bill, to order improvements by road and rail authorities.
Lincolnshire, which had a high number of level crossings, was a ‘hotspot’ for incidents, a Network Rail spokesman said. A local liaison group was being formed to improve dialogue. ‘If successful, we could use this as a model for closer working with highway and planning authorities,’ he said.
The rail body will work with the county council to agree, and possibly fund, improvements on the carriageway at crossing approaches. Early input to planning decisions, would also allow Network Rail a say on mitigation measures. Where significant new traffic would be generated, it will press for developer-funded bridge crossings. <br>
‘In the past, the rail industry has not looked beyond the boundary of the railway,’ said Brian Thompson, divisional highways manager at ~Lincolnshire County Council~ Railtrack had only considered its own costs, and not the congestion and road safety implications, while councils were criticised for not giving priority to reducing risk at level crossings.
Network Rail could, for example, contribute to the southern bypass, which would allow the closure of four level crossings, Thompson said. ‘We need to look at the costs to society as a whole.’
A framework for assessing the costs and benefits for both road and rail of crossing improvements is among the research projects being promoted by the Rail Safety Standards Board.
Its latest annual report shows that behaviour of road-users at level crossings continues to be a significant factor in train accident risk. In 2005, there were 16 collisions between trains and road vehicles at crossings – the same as in 2004. Four vehicle occupants were killed. One was a suspected suicide. Around 10 near-misses are reported for every strike. The board attributed a significant rise in equipment failures to increased reporting. <br>
Trails of ‘third generation’ red light cameras are promised this year, and responsibility and resources are being devolved to encourage closer working relationships with highway authorities.
www.rssb.co.uk/aspr.asp
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