The Government has announced plans to introduce improved signage to protect pedestrians and motorists using private level crossings.
Private level crossings are intersections where a railway crosses a road or footpath on private land. The gates often need to be operated manually with some crossings requiring users to telephone a signaller to check that it is safe to cross.
There are around 2,500 private crossings in the UK, representing more than a third of all level crossings on the network.
To improve safety at these crossings, the DfT has worked with the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) and Network Rail to revise and make improvements to the signage used.
Andrew Jones, rail minister, said: “Private level crossings represent a particular area of risk on our network, so it is vital that we update decade-old signs to ensure they are simple and safe for users.
“We will continue to work with the industry to test these new signs and ensure our rail network remains one of the safest in the world.”
Statistics show that, on average, around 46 incidents involving vehicles take place at level crossings across the country each week. Lorries are the most common vehicle type involved (32%), followed by cars (28%).
Between October 2014 and October 2018, six people lost their lives in vehicles at level crossings, with many more injured.