Ufton Nervet level crossing: incidents and discussions (merged topics)

[whole diary]

[BerkshireBugsy]

That makes interesting reading and I have a question which someone here maybe able to answer.

As some may know there is a memorial to the victims of the train crash in (I think) November 2006. This is accessed through a gate from the lane which leads to the Ufton crossing. My assumption, which may not be correct, is that this is public access.

If my assumption is correct is Network Rail obliged to provide access to this memorial?

I can see the point about the visual impact of the bridge in what is essentially a flat area but if it reduces the possibility of further incidents then I am for it.

Of course it will never totally elimiate the risk - if some is determined to end their life I'm sure they will find a way.

[trainer]

NR^» (Network Rail - home page) has come up with the safest way to cross a railway and the local representative doesn't want it.  One wonders about how people get elected sometimes.

[Thatcham Crossing]

Are you saying this is Benyon, who's family own the land and also happens to be a local MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) (Newbury)?

[trainer]

I have to say I know nothing of local personalities or landowners.  I am referring to the newspaper report in which a Mr Mayes is referred to demanding a safer crossing by full barriers being installed.  It appears that Network Rail has gone one better and suggested a bridge and this is reported as not good enough.  The objections include aesthetics (dominating the flat landscape) and the suggestion that the bridge itself would be dangerous to road traffic and pedestrians, while NR^» (Network Rail - home page) say it will make everyone safer.  Incidentally, there seems to be no account taken of the domination of the landscape that the catenery will impose. 

I am unclear as to whether a detailed proposal has been put before the local people for the councillor to make such detailed objections.  I am clear that unless a bridge is appallingly designed it must be inherently safer than a level crossing.  If NR are offering to close a crossing which has such a sad recent past I would have thought that this was a good thing.  The local politics is beyond my knowledge at present, but no doubt as time passes I can be enlightened.  Perhaps that enlightenment has already started.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Some of the points raised in the posts above were touched upon in a BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) news report a month ago:

Ufton Nervet death crash rail crossing bridge plan


Seven people were killed at Ufton Nervet when their train hit a parked car in November 2004

Network Rail in Berkshire is planning to erect a bridge in place of a rail crossing where eight people have died.

Residents have long called for action to be taken to improve the crossing at Ufton Nervet.

In 2004 a train derailed killing seven, and in May this year a man on a moped died on the level crossing.

Network Rail said a bridge was the preferred option but it would depend on planning and highways consent as it did not own the land. But it said it was proceeding with the bridge plan in the meantime, looking at land purchase, designs and funding.

Jane Hawker from Newbury, who was in the 2004 crash, said: "I would be very pleased to think that a bridge would be built."

To replace the crossing, between Aldermaston and Theale, the company said it would also need to secure additional funding.

Memorial garden

Patrick Hallgate, Network Rail route managing director, said: "We have a once-in-a generation opportunity to make changes at Ufton Nervet as part of our plans to re-signal and electrify the line.


A man died at the crossing in May and last year there was a near-miss between a train and a car

"It is our view that we have a strong case to close the crossing and replace it with a road bridge. Every crossing that we close removes the risk of a person or vehicle being struck by a train and improves safety for everyone on the railway and for those who travel across it."

Hugh Jaegar, of the campaign group Railfuture, who has previously said Network Rail was was not acting fast enough to improve safety at the site, welcomed the decision. He said: "This will prevent any more tragedies at Ufton Nervet like those of 2004 and 2012."

A bridge would cost more to build but much less to operate and had advantages for both rail and road users, Mr Jaeger added. "Network Rail would be able to upgrade the Newbury line for trains to run faster, and as passenger and freight demand increases the line can carry more trains without affecting road traffic."

He said he hoped the memorial garden beside the crossing, which commemorates the victims of the 2004 crash, would still have a place within the design for the new bridge.

[Chris from Nailsea]

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB^▸ (Rail Accident Investigation Branch)) has released its report into the near miss between a road vehicle and a passenger train, at Ufton automatic half barrier level crossing on 4 September 2011. The RAIB has made seven recommendations.

Summary

At 12:28 hours on Sunday 4 September 2011, the 11:13 hrs train from London Paddington to Bedwyn went over Ufton level crossing at a speed of 61 mph (98 km/h) while the barriers were in the raised position and the red road traffic signals were not flashing. A car approaching the crossing had to stop suddenly to avoid a collision. Engineering work meant that the equipment which normally operated the crossing automatically had been disabled and the crossing barriers and lights were being operated by an attendant located at the crossing.

The incident occurred because a signaller did not carry out the rules requiring him to speak with the attendant and the train driver so that the barriers were lowered and the train approached the crossing at low speed. It is probable that these omissions were a result of a lapse and the signaller being overloaded by activities that he was required to undertake in connection with the engineering work and the resumption of passenger services after completion of this work. It is possible that the signaller actions were affected by shortcomings in the presentation of information on the display screens used at his workstation. Inadequate consideration of signallers^ workload associated with engineering work is considered a probable underlying cause.

The RAIB has made seven recommendations addressed to Network Rail. Five directly relate to the incident and cover presentation of information on display screens used by signallers; the introduction of an interface intended to remind signallers to take appropriate precautions when automatic crossings are being controlled by attendants; and consideration of signallers^ workload when planning engineering work. Two recommendations, based on observations made during the investigation, relate to the positioning and removal of the red flags and red lights used by level crossing attendants to stop trains.

[paul7575]

Deleted - for some reason I thought this was a new report - probably because of today's date on the RAIB^▸ (Rail Accident Investigation Branch) web page, and the scrolling message about the report still being there... 

Paul

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Ufton Nervet level crossing changes 'overdue'


Seven people died at Ufton Nervet when a train hit a parked car in 2004

The Office of Rail Regulation says changes to a level crossing where eight people have died need urgent attention.

Seven people were killed in a crash at Ufton Nervet in 2004 and another person died there in May last year.

A proposed road bridge is yet to be built but Network Rail says it is in the process of finding a "solution".

The Office of Rail Regulation's chief executive, Richard Price, said: "Nine years since a tragic accident is an awfully long time to wait for action."

Ufton Nervet level crossing, in Berkshire, was earmarked to be replaced by a road bridge following support from the local council last November. But negotiations to purchase land are still taking place.

A Network Rail spokesman said: "At present, discussions around land acquisition and design are progressing simultaneously as the two are mutually linked. However, early indications show a solution is likely to be confirmed in the new year."

Network Rail said it had been liaising with West Berkshire Council on a timescale to build the proposed bridge.

Mr Price said the crossing was a "high-priority case" for Network Rail. "Network Rail has been under pressure to improve the speed at which it acts around planning and land acquisition," he said. "Impatience at the speed in which these things are resolved is perfectly understandable."

Local MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) John Redwood called the delay "deeply disappointing", but admitted he was not surprised.

The Office of Rail Regulation has announced additional funding to close around 500 level crossings and improve safety at hundreds more.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Man dies at Ufton Nervet level crossing


Ufton Nervet level crossing was the scene of a crash in 2004 in which six people died

A man has been struck by a train and killed at a Berkshire level crossing.

The First Great Western route between Reading and Newbury was shut after the incident at Ufton Nervet level crossing near Theale at 18:50 BST.

The man was killed on the same stretch of track where a train derailed in 2004 when it hit a car parked at the crossing. Six people died.

Network Rail said the incident was not suspicious and trains would be delayed by up to an hour until 22:00 BST.

Since the crash 10 years ago, there have been three further deaths and two near-misses on the same crossing.

Survivors of the crash have called for the crossing to be replaced by a bridge.

Network Rail said in 2012 a bridge was its "preferred solution" to reduce risk at Ufton Nervet.

[Chris from Nailsea]

An update on their coverage of the story, from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Ufton Nervet level crossing crash victim dies

A man has been struck by a train and killed at a Berkshire level crossing.

The First Great Western route between Reading and Newbury was shut after the incident at Ufton Nervet level crossing near Theale at 18:50 BST.

The man was killed on the same stretch of track where a train derailed in 2004 when it hit a car parked at the crossing, leaving six dead.

The BBC's Question Time panel, who were travelling to Newbury, were among those caught in the ensuing delays. But the guests, including Secretary of State for Health Jeremy Hunt, MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) Angela Eagle and MP Menzies Campbell, arrived in time for the programme.

Network Rail said the incident was not being treated as suspicious.

Since the crash 10 years ago, there have been three further deaths and two near-misses on the same crossing.

Survivors of the crash have called for the crossing to be replaced by a bridge.

Network Rail said in 2012 a bridge was its "preferred solution" to reduce the risk at the site.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Ufton Nervet level crossing: 'Urgent action' needed

An Ufton Nervet train crash survivor has called for "urgent action" after another person was killed at the "notorious" level crossing.

A man killed at the Berkshire crossing on Thursday is the third person to die there since a 2004 crash that killed seven people.

Jane Hawker, who was injured in that crash, said action was needed to "stop this appalling repetition".

Network Rail said it was trying to find funding for a bridge at Ufton Nervet. Spokesman Julian Burnell said a bridge design had been completed but it will cost "significantly more than anticipated". He said a bridge is the company's "preferred option", but unless funding is found the only option may be to make changes to the existing crossing.

On 6 November 2004, a train driver and five passengers died, and 120 others were injured, when local chef Brian Drysdale parked his car on the Ufton Nervet level crossing in the path of an intercity train.

Ms Hawker, from Newbury, who received minor injuries in the crash, said it was a "notorious" crossing because this was the latest of three deaths since the disaster. That should give Network Rail even more reason to take action urgently to stop this appalling repetition," she said.

Network Rail has said the latest death is not being treated as suspicious.

In October last year Network Rail said it was in the process of finding a solution for the crossing, which is between Theale and Aldermaston stations in Berkshire, and said it had been working with West Berkshire Council on a timescale to build a bridge.

Mr Burnell said negotiations had continued with landowners, local communities and the local authority. "That another incident of this nature should happen at this point is a tragedy, but serves to underline the necessity of Network Rail's programme of closing level crossings," he said.

More than 750 level crossing have been closed over the past five years.

[BerkshireBugsy]

Out of curiosity does anyone know how much NR^» (Network Rail - home page) expect a bridge to cost ?

[BBM]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-29913603

Ufton Nervet 2004 rail crash: Bridge being built at crossing


Seven people died at Ufton Nervet when a train hit a parked car in 2004

Work to build a bridge over a level crossing 10 years after a train crash that killed seven people will start "very shortly", Network Rail has said.

Another four people have died at the Ufton Nervet crossing in Berkshire since the 2004 tragedy, which also left 120 others injured.

Mick Cash, of the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) union, said it was "impossible to believe" all safety changes had not already been made.

Network Rail said other improvements were in place.

'A constant reminder'

The crash, involving a London-to-Plymouth First Great Western service, happened when the train collided with a car that had been deliberately driven onto the automatic half-barrier level crossing.

Those killed included the driver of the car, chef Brian Drysdale, 48, of Reading, and the driver of the train, Stanley Martin, 54, from Torquay.

The latest death was last month, when Gary Provins, 60, from Calcot, was struck by a train and killed at the crossing. Police said his death was not being treated as suspicious.

Network Rail said safety measures had been implemented, including moving the points that were involved in the derailment of the train in 2004 and emergency communication improvements.

It said the investment into the modernisation of the Great Western Main Line has provided access to the funding needed to build the bridge.

Mr Cash said: "Ufton Nervet serves as a constant reminder of the ever-present danger of mixing road with rail and RMT will continue to campaign for the speed-up of the phasing out of level crossings and their replacement."

Network Rail has closed more than 800 crossings in the past five years and has agreed to close another 500 by 2019.


The last death at Ufton Nervet level crossing took place in October

[Super Guard]

There is a memorial service at Exeter St. Davids tomorrow for the driver, Stan Martin to mark the 10th anniversary, including the power-car that was named after him.

[Super Guard]

A very moving service it was too.  RIP Driver Martin.

Views from some of the survivors:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-29755734

"Ufton Nervet rail crash: Why is level crossing still open?"