CCTV footage highlights level crossing dangers

CCTV footage showing misuse at level crossings has been released by Network Rail and the British Transport Police.

The two incidents, in London and Yorkshire, happened just weeks after NR and BTP issued warnings regarding safety at crossings, after a man was nearly killed at Ducketts level crossing, near Leeds.

The first incident happened at Grove Park level crossing in Chiswick, west London. The barriers were coming down while the lights were flashing, but once the barriers were down a pedestrian pushed through the barrier, followed by a second.

In the second incident, which happened at 1830 on New Year’s Eve, two adults climb a six-foot-high locked gate at Seamer station before passing a toddler over the gate and running across the tracks in front of a train as it arrives at the station. They appear to be running for the train, and become trapped inside the crossing and repeat their actions on the opposite gate before running up the platform. They missed the train.

Robert Havercroft, level crossing manager for Network Rail, said: “They had no way of knowing for certain that the approaching train was stopping at the platform, and they were lucky to avoid this becoming the most disastrous way to end the year.”