Rail crash investigation to decide if extra safety measures needed

Date: 10/10/2012

Calls have been made for an investigation into a rail crash which seriously injured a teenager to decide whether extra safety measures need to be put in place.

Russell Brown, a Dumfries and Galloway MP, made the calls after the accident which occurred at Little Grenoch crossing near the village of Dunragit in Dumfries and Galloway, reports ITV.

An 18-year-old was driving a Mitsubishi Shogun 4x4 across a crossing when it was hit by a train consisting of two carriages.

The motorist survived the accident, but remains in a serious, but stable condition in hospital in Glasgow.

He was initially treated at the Galloway Community Hospital, but his injuries were so severe that he was airlifted to the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow 90 miles away.

Mr Brown said: "This has been an awful accident and all our thoughts are with the young driver of the car and his family.

"The passengers and driver of the train were understandably shocked but thankfully not seriously injured."

Three people from the train were treated for minor injuries and all passengers were taken to a local leisure centre in order to be checked over by members of the Scottish Ambulance Service.

A safety system in place at the gated crossing involves a telephone which anyone wanting to cross the rail tracks is supposed to use in order to determine whether it is safe to do so.

Once they have been told it is clear, the driver then manually lifts the gates on both sides of the track, crosses over, and then replaces the gates.

Mr Brown said: "A thorough accident investigation is currently underway and it is important it is given time to find out exactly what happened.

"One of the areas I am sure it will be looking at is whether adequate safety measures are in place at the gated crossing.

"If the investigation finds that any additional measures would have helped prevent this accident, such as perhaps flashing lights to warn when a train is coming, then I would support immediate action being taken."

Posted by Sarah Bailey

Transport Research News and Vehicle Safety News