More than 1,500 level crossing near-misses in four years as Network Rail launches new campaign

30/04/2025

CCTV still of a pedestrian distracted by a mobile phone whilst on a level crossing. NETWORK RAIL.

There have been 1,574 recorded near-miss incidents at level crossings in the past four years, according to Network Rail.

Incidents have increased by 16 per cent over that period.

The infrastructure owner points to people being distracted by using their mobile phones.

It commissioned research that shows nearly half of people admit they’ve made a mistake, such as missing a train or locking themselves out of the house, while using their phone.

The survey of 2,000 people by One Poll during March 2025 found a “lack of caution” around level crossings, with one in three people admitting they are more careful when crossing roads than at one of the UK’s 6,000 level crossings.

Young people are most distracted with 87% of Gen Z (born after 1996) and 70% of Millennials (born 1981-1996) admitting to mistakes, compared with 22% of older people.

The research was undertaken to support Network Rail’s latest safety campaign.

Lucy Ruck lost her leg in an incident at Farnborough North level crossing in Hampshire when she was 17.

“The consequences of a split-second decision can be life-altering,” she said. “I wasn’t being deliberately reckless or rushing, but perhaps because I used the station every day and knew it so well, I’d become a bit complacent. I went with everyone else without stopping to think for myself.”

Lucy was involved in a successful campaign to replace the pedestrian part of the vehicle crossing with a footbridge, which opened earlier this Spring.

Local residents had been demanding a bridge for decades. In recent years it had become one of only three crossings in the country that were so dangerous they had to be staffed whenever trains were running.

Farnborough’s Sixth Form College and its College of Technology are both within walking distance from the station.

Until the fully-accessible bridge, with lifts, was completed, the level crossing was also the only way to cross from one platform to the other, so it was used by all rail passengers.

Gemma Briggs, professor of applied cognitive psychology at the Open University, studies the impact of distractions on daily lives. She said: “While you may feel able to multitask when using your phone, research shows you can fail to notice hazards which happen right in front of you. You don’t notice because your mind is on your phone, and your attention is spread too thinly.

“This ‘inattentional blindness’ is particularly problematic in safety-critical situations such as at level crossings.”