UK: The Office of Rail & Road has published Principles for Managing Level Crossing Safety, setting out new guidance for Network Rail, heritage and other railways and local authorities.
The guidance emphasises the reduction of risk through level cross design, providing alternative ways of crossing the railway where reasonably practicable and taking into account how crossings are actually used.
The new guidance will replace Level Crossings: Guidance for Managers, Designers & Operators, known as RSP7. It supports a risk-based approach which ensures cost is taken into account, but does not specify requirements or technologies and instead allows a ‘proportionate, case-by-case’ approach.
‘With more than 7 000 level crossings in Britain, there is no one size fits all approach to safety’, said HM Chief Inspector of Railways Ian Prosser on June 15. ‘Our guidance will help support industry to make informed decisions about managing level crossing risks and encourage a collaborative approach to improve safety for all level crossing users.’
