the number of active level crossings by 25%, and to instigate a dramatic change to the way Network Rail manages level crossings in Britain.”
Gallagher says that rather than taking
a reactive approach to media headlines and managing risk at crossings, NR now has a clearly-defined strategy which is aided by support from the very top of the organisation. He says he took heed from the oil and gas industry, which changed its approach to risk management in safety- critical environments following a series of accidents in the 1970s. As a result there are two key areas in which level crossing safety is being addressed: improving the organisational capacity to manage risk, and adopting and implementing a standardised nationwide programme to both reduce risk at level crossings and increase education and awareness of the potential dangers. “One of the most problematic areas to
to Stansted Airport. They were killed instantly. A scathing analysis presented to the court by safety specialist Dr Tony Cox of the final risk assessment of the level crossing conducted eight months before the accident found that the assessment neglected to show that the level crossing in question had extremely short visual sighting times. The low- frequency of off-peak services also created an incentive to catch immediately departing trains, while the positioning of ticketing facilities on only one platform at the station meant that passengers often had to use the crossing more than once.
Cox estimated that there was a “near miss” at the crossing at least once a week, adding that the failure to warn passengers of the passage of a second train was a very significant factor in the two girls’ deaths and a huge failure of the level crossing system in place. Reacting to the verdict, NR chief executive Sir David Higgins made a pledge to the girl’s families to improve level crossing safety. “Fundamental changes to the way we manage and look after the country’s more than 6500
IRJ December 2012
level crossings, have been, and are being, made,” Higgins said. Indeed, NR is now engaging in a £130m programme to address level crossing safety across the country by eliminating as many crossings as possible, improving the risk assessment process, and installing technology that will enhance public safety. Mr Martin Gallagher, NR’s head of level crossings, and the man charged with rolling out the level crossing programme, says that Higgins made it clear that he wanted to avoid incidents like those at Elsenham immediately after taking on the chief executive’s role in 2011. An extra £90m was soon allocated to the programme in addition to £40m secured in 2009. “I went into his [Higgins’] office and he had a newspaper in front of him about the court proceedings which followed the deaths of the two girls,” Gallagher says. “He said he wanted to make this his number one priority and that he wanted a plan to sell to the executive that would fix the problem. This was a significant moment for the programme to get the funding we needed to meet the target of reducing
argue in favour of adopting this policy is that in terms of safety we have a good record at level crossings,” Gallagher says. “Not that many people die at level crossings in Britain. There is an argument as a result that if not that many people are being killed then it is not a problem and it is something that does not need to be addressed. “However, this drives complacency and adds to the idea that it is the fault of pedestrians and motorists, and that we don’t need to do anything. Only when there is an unfortunate event like Elsenham are we alerted to the system’s failings. Our business case then is not just based on how much it is going to cost and the number of lives we might save, but on reducing the risk factor and the fact that it is the right thing to do.”
Specially-trained
At the heart of this strategy is the appointment of 100 specially-trained level crossing managers. Each manager is assigned a region where they undertake risk assessments and asset inspections and carry out minor maintenance at their pre-designated level crossings.
They carry handheld devices on which they conduct risk assessment reports at the work site, eliminating the previous inefficient paper-based assessment system. The inspectors make decisions on risk mitigation measures at a crossing, and work with the local community to improve education.
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Photo: Paul Bigland
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