Steam may disappear from traffic crossing warning signs

STEAM locomotives were banned from the UK national network in 1968 – and now they are set to disappear from the country’s roads, too.

Moves are afoot to phase out red triangle road signs depicting a steam locomotive, which were introduced in 1964 to warn motorists that they are approaching level crossing without a barrier.

In 2005, a Health and Safety Executive report expressed concern that areas with “high levels of foreign vehicle drivers may result in increased decisionmaking errors at level crossings.”

In 2013, a Rail Safety and Standards Board report said that the steam train sign may not be “readily understood by younger drivers.”

It subsequently recommended that the steam train sign was replaced, because it was associated with “slow-moving” trains.

Unfamiliar traction

There is increasing concern among the powers that be that younger drivers may not be readily aware of what the signs mean if they have never been familiar with steam trains.

The Department for Transport has now warned that the use of private crossings has increased significantly, partially due to extra delivery drivers and the boom in online shopping, and that drivers may not be aware of how to cross safely.

Modern trains will now be shown on level crossing signs for the first time in the UK.

The DfT has said it would introduce new regulations for signs that provide clearer information, such as when users should use a telephone, wait for a green light, or to watch for trains.

About three-quarters of crossings are owned by Network Rail, while the vast majority of the remainder are on heritage railways. Some crossings rely on users to look for approaching trains, while others provide a telephone to call a signaller to check that it is safe to proceed.