‘Danger’ crossing upgrade ruled out
ASOUTHPORT rail crossing deemed as dangerous by local residents will not be upgraded until 2022, Network Rail has revealed.
The Crescent Road crossing between Birkdale and Hillside stations has seen a number of serious accidents and fatalities over the years as its automatic barriers only cover half of the roadway on each side, meaning the track can be accessed even as trains approach.
Darcy Iveson-Berkeley started a petition, which now has over 1,000 signatures, to secure the railway crossing after his sister, Flur McDonald, killed herself there on January 29 2019.
His sister was physically weak and Darcy believes that if the rail crossing was properly secured with four barriers instead of two, she may not have been able to gain access to the track.
A recent video posted by local resident Stuart Allister shows an elderley gentleman who wanders onto the tracks and then stops as he’s met by the opposing barrier.
He appears confused and waits for a few moments before trying to get under but fails. A member of the public then helps him around just moments before two trains whizz by on both sides of the track.
Labour campaigners discovered through a Freedom of Information request that the site was recommended for upgrade to a full barrier system in a 2015 risk assessment.
Labour Cllr Liz Savage has repeatedly called on Network Rail to confirm when exactly this work will be carried out.
Mr Allister contacted Cllr Savage to inform her of the timescale given to him by Network Rail.
Cllr Savage said: “Stuart has contacted me about this and we are horrified that it will take seven years to upgrade it after Network Rail first deemed the site dangerous enough to need this work. That timescale is completely unacceptable.”
“There have been fatalities at this crossing since Network Rail first identified the risks, and now it seems they are prepared to risk yet more lives with this delay.”
“The rail company even bizarrely tried to claim that half-barriers gave users of the crossing the ability to get out of the way of trains.
“Of course, if there were full barriers they wouldn’t be able to just wander onto the crossing and into the way of trains in the first place.”
Darcy said: “On behalf of me and my family, this is simply not good enough. I shall be contacting Network Rail myself.”
Network Rail said: “The safety of all level crossing users at Crescent Road in Birkdale is our priority.
“We are in the early stages of planning to replace the signalling for trains in the area and this includes the installation of full barriers at this level crossing in future.
“In the meantime, we have installed vehicle enforcement cameras to discourage level crossing misuse. Road users and pedestrians alike are reminded they must never cross when the warning lights and sirens are in use.”