A railroad crossing that was closed over safety concerns after children were spotted playing “chicken” with trains will reopen following a significant upgrade, Network Rail said.
A six-figure sum will be invested at the Sportsfield crossing in Featherstone, which was temporarily closed April 23 under emergency powers after repeated dangerous misuse.
Palisade fencing was erected to prevent access, and Network Rail and British Transport Police conducted regular patrols to ensure the activity had not moved to nearby crossings.
Education and community outreach also continued, with rail safety workshops delivered to thousands of children and young people at 13 schools in the area. Network Rail also engaged with more than 1,000 people at the Vision Zero safety event in Castleford, along with hundreds more at the National Coal Mining Museum’s Emergency Services Day.
Work is scheduled to begin Oct. 5 to upgrade the location to a Miniature Stop Light crossing. The system uses red and green lights to indicate when it is safe to cross.
CCTV cameras also will be installed to deter misuse and support safe operation and monitoring of the crossing.
The crossing will be moved 40 meters east of its current location because of signaling and operational requirements. Users will continue to enter and exit from the same locations using a new fenced route designed to maintain community access while improving safety and accessibility.
Be the first to comment