Dave Thompson MSP

FOLLOWING an explicit recommendation from inspectors that barriers should be installed at Scotland’s most dangerous level crossings without delay, Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch MSP Dave Thompson has written to the company responsible for this work to reject a suggestion that this could be put off for several years. Mr Thompson, a long-term campaigner for the addition of barriers, acted after he received a letter from David Simpson, Network Rail’s new route managing director for Scotland, in response to the MSP’s earlier call for Network Rail to publish a timetable for work to add barriers at level crossings. Mr Simpson’s letter stated that the firm hoped to add barriers to currently ungated crossings but that the company wanted this to be carried out as part of a wider upgrade programme of work which is scheduled to run from 2014 until 2019.

“While I am pleased that Network Rail has finally accepted that barriers should be added to level crossings, I am concerned that, by trying to delay this action for several years, they want to kick this issue into the long grass,” said Mr Thompson.

“By attempting to include this much-needed public safety improvement work in a package of measures not scheduled to begin, at the earliest, until 2014, I fear that Network Rail runs the risk of prolonging the unacceptable situation where junctions between road and rail traffic remain among the most dangerous places on our national transport network.

“This shocking suggestion is all the worse when viewed in the light of recent inspectors’ reports which have highlighted the inherent dangers associated with leaving level crossings unprotected and the explicit recommendation of a Government report into exactly this type of crossing which stated that these should be upgraded by the addition of barriers without delay.

“Therefore I have responded to Mr Simpson, urging him to reconsider his suggested timetable and start work now to introduce barriers on a phased basis over the next few years. That way, we may see barriers added to all crossings identified by inspectors as dangerous before the programme of work Mr Simpson referred to has even begun.

Recommendation 172 of “Investigation into the safety of level crossings on Network Rail’s managed infrastructure” published by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch of Westminster’s Department for Transport states: “The intention of this recommendation is that Network Rail should upgrade the highest risk AOCLs by fitting barriers”.

Further, it states that this work should not be delayed to allow the development of a new, less expensive, half-barrier system, adding: “The upgrading of the highest risk AOCLs should be implemented based on existing forms of level crossing protection”.

Still within Recommendation 172, the report’s authors continue: “Network Rail should immediately implement a programme to upgrade the highest risk AOCLs.

Mr Thompson added: “By stating that any upgrade work should be carried out under Network Rail’s Initial Industry Plan, which is intended to cover 2014 to 2019, I believe that the company runs the risk of being in breach of the recommendations set out in detail by the RAIB inspection team.

“Therefore I have copied my reply to Mr Simpson to Keith Brown, Minister for Transport; the Office of the Rail Regulator and the RAIB at the Department for Transport because I believe this dangerous proposal needs the widest possible scrutiny.

Notes::

After being elected to represent the Highlands and Islands in 2007, Dave Thompson campaigned for the installation of barriers on level crossings and in 2010 published the results of a major public consultation to measure public support for his campaign. In 2009 he distributed almost 14,000 survey forms to householders near this type of open level crossing and almost 2,500 were returned, with 86 per cent calling for barriers to be added.

In September 2009, 81-year-old Angus MacKay, of Inverness, failed to notice a flashing warning signal as he drove across an ungated level crossing in Halkirk and his Nissan Micra was struck by the Inverness to Wick service, killing Mr MacKay, his wife Margaret, also 81, and his brother Donald, 66.

Text of Dave Thompson’s reply to David Simpson:

Thank you for your reply to my letter of September 16th to Ron McAulay.

I was pleased to note that this makes clear Network Rail’s acceptance of a recent RAIB investigation into the safety of AOCL crossings and the report’s recommendation that barriers are installed at this type of crossing.

I was, however, concerned by your suggestion that these improvements should be carried out as part of a programme of work which is not scheduled to begin until 2014.

2014 is three years away so, given that the report’s recommendation states that these improvements should be carried out immediately, I fear that Network Rail will fail in your duty of care. Therefore I urge you strongly to reconsider this timetable and introduce barriers on a phased basis with immediate effect.

I was also pleased to note in your letter that you would welcome a meeting with me. I agree that this would be helpful so I have asked my office staff to arrange this.

RAIB report 12/2011 “Investigation into the safety of level crossings on Network Rail’s managed infrastructure” can be accessed at: http://www.raib.gov.uk/publications/investigation_reports/reports_2011/report122011.cfm