New safety measure to keep pedestrians safe at railway

The firm, which owns, manages and develops Britain’s railway, installed a new audible warning device which alerts pedestrians of approaching trains.

The crossing is among 13 in the South East to have the kit installed in the last 12 months as part of Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan to provide a safer and more reliable railway.

The solar-powered unit reproduces the sound of a train horn and is triggered automatically as a train approaches, providing a secondary warning in the event that a crossing user does not hear the train horn.

John Halsall, South East route managing director at Network Rail, said: “Level crossings remain the biggest source of risk on the rail network.

“We want everyone who lives or works near the railway to be safe, which is why we’re investing in a variety of projects to improve level crossing safety as part of our Railway Upgrade Plan.

“This involves major investments, such as new footbridges, as well as a range of smaller yet effective improvements, such as 
new technology which also help us reduce risk and save lives.”

Paul Coleman, South East route level crossing manager at Network Rail, said: “These new audible warning units are solar powered and don’t require a lot of maintenance, so they’re a practical 
and efficient way to improve safety at footpath level crossings.

“We have now installed a total of thirteen of these devices across the South East, with plans for more 
to come.”

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