Overview

• Last year saw 24 preventable railway deaths—the highest in five years—with five fatalities at level crossings and 19 at unauthorised crossings.
• There were 467 near misses at level crossings, 457 involving pedestrians, and Network Rail research links many to mobile phone distractions.
• The summer campaign features two safety films that show first responders’ emotional accounts and an NHS trauma specialist’s insights into the severe injuries caused by train collisions.
• Infrastructure upgrades now include the permanent closure of the Wantage Road crossing in Grove for safety improvements and the earlier installation of an accessible footbridge at Farnborough North.
• Network Rail and British Transport Police caution that unsafe crossings endanger lives and trigger over a million minutes of train delays, urging people to use designated crossings and remove distractions.