Rail collision re-enactment to show dangers

Date: 20/8/2012

A re-enactment of a rail collision is to be staged in Northern Ireland in order to highlight the dangers associated with misuse of level crossings.

It comes as Translink reveals that there are around ten incidents every month where motorists flout the rules when crossing railway lines.

This is tantamount to trespassing on the tracks and the signals and procedures in place are designed to keep people safe.

Several of those who break the rules each month have a near miss, as a train passes the spot their vehicle was just moments before.

Accidents at level crossings endanger both the lives of the occupants of the car, but also those on board the train, including the driver.
Ian Campbell of Translink said: "On some occasions the train driver hasn't even had time to react, it's been so close.

"Our trains travel at speeds over 90mph, they weigh between 150 and 300 tonnes and some of our trains take over a mile to stop at those speeds."

Translink is staging the collision in conjunction with the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service on a railway line outside of Antrim.

Mr Campbell said: "People are too relaxed around railway crossings. They try to save 30 seconds to a minute off their journey and they don't appreciate that they could be putting their own lives at risk and those of others."

2010 saw 121 faced prosecution for incidents of Northern Ireland's railways relating to issues of safety, putting theirs and other people's lives in danger.

In 2011 there were 160 people prosecuted for railway related events, with 91 of those associated with safety.

Many of the hundreds of level crossings throughout Northern Ireland are fitted with CCTV cameras.

This makes it easier for the authorities to identify offenders and prosecute them, as a way of expressing the severity of breaching level crossing rules.

Posted by Sarah Bailey

Transport Research News and Vehicle Safety News