Dave Thompson MSP

SKYE, Lochaber and Badenoch MSP Dave Thompson has welcomed a hard-hitting regulator’s report which calls for barriers to be fitted to more than half of the 21 open level crossings in the Highlands immediately.

Since his election to the Scottish Parliament in 2007, Mr Thompson has fought a determined campaign to highlight the dangers of rail level crossings which do not have a barrier to stop motorists straying into the path of an oncoming train. In 2010 he conducted a major public consultation exercise (summarised below) which revealed that 86 per cent of the area’s population want to see their safety improved by the addition of barriers to level crossings.

Following a fatal collision on an open level crossing in Halkirk in September 2009, in which three members of the same family were killed, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch of the UK Department for Transport decided to carry out an investigation into the safety of this type of crossing.

The report into this investigation of “AOCL” crossings carries a recommendation that Network Rail, the body responsible for maintaining the country’s rail network, should immediately improve safety at 13 of the 21 AOCL crossings in the Highlands by either adding barriers or closing them completely.

Mr Thompson was pleased with this outcome and said: “This is an extremely positive development in my long-running campaign for the addition of barriers at level crossings to help end the appalling toll of accidents at this hazardous type of crossing, of which there are 21 out of Scotland’s total of 23 in the Highlands.

“My public consultation on this issue helped to convince more organisations, such as The Highland Council, to put their weight behind the campaign but still Network Rail continued to argue against the need for barriers.

“Now this comprehensive report from the RAIB has come to the same conclusion, vindicating my campaign, but this organisation has the power to compel Network Rail to take the action I and many others have been calling for.

“I, therefore, look for immediate action from Network Rail to implement the recommendations of this important report which will vastly increase the safety of Highland level crossings.

Notes:

The RAIB report “Investigation Into The Safety Of Automatic Open Level Crossings On Network Rail’s Managed Infrastructure” can be found at: http://www.raib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/110728_R122011_AOCLs%20Class%20Inv.pdf

In 2010 Mr Thompson distributed a questionnaire on level crossing safety to almost 14,000 constituents in areas close to AOCL crossings. Almost 2,500 of these were returned with 86 per cent calling for the addition of barriers.

In September 2009, 81-year-old Angus MacKay, of Inverness, failed to notice a flashing warning light as he drove towards an ungated level crossing at Halkirk. His Nissan Micra was struck by the Inverness to Wick train, killing Mr MacKay, his wife Margaret (also 81) and his brother Donald 66.