Councillor Calls for Crescent/Grosvenor Road Crossing Review





A concerned Southport Councillor is calling for a review of the safety of the Crescent Road/Grosvenor Road rail crossing in Birkdale.




Councillor Tony Dawson says that the Youtube video recently posted on the internet by a concerned resident shows how easy it is for a pedestrian to stroll onto the railway line in front of an oncoming train.







"I am asking Merseytravel and Network Rail to look at this video as well as the statistics" say Councillor Dawson.






"These half-barrier crossings exist all over the country. But i nan urban environment, where there are many elderly residents in particular, the risk of an accident is greater, as this video clearly shows."

Originally Posted by roving-eye

Councillor Calls for Crescent/Grosvenor Road Crossing Review





A concerned Southport Councillor is calling for a review of the safety of the Crescent Road/Grosvenor Road rail crossing in Birkdale.




Councillor Tony Dawson says that the Youtube video recently posted on the internet by a concerned resident shows how easy it is for a pedestrian to stroll onto the railway line in front of an oncoming train.







"I am asking Merseytravel and Network Rail to look at this video as well as the statistics" say Councillor Dawson.






"These half-barrier crossings exist all over the country. But i nan urban environment, where there are many elderly residents in particular, the risk of an accident is greater, as this video clearly shows."

Interesting the OP has an issue with safety only to clearly ride on the wrong side of the road to then stop in a box junction!

You mean where the motorcyclist crossed the double white solid lines ??

The gentleman who wished to take his life in his own hands would be in just as much danger on a main road.

Surely if you miss the flashing lights and barrier at a railway crossing you have a problem of some sort ?

Surely full width barriers should be installed. Years ago!

Originally Posted by local

Surely if you miss the flashing lights and barrier at a railway crossing you have a problem of some sort ?

But there was no barrier on his side of the road - that's the whole point of the campaign.

Yes, the elderly gentleman may have 'a problem of some sort', but society has a duty to protect vulnerable people, and having a crossing where it is possible to walk into the path of an oncoming train with no barrier is a dereliction of that duty.

If Crescent road crossing was truly so dangerous why hasn't there been more accidental deaths there? I don't believe I've ever read or heard of a stray animal being hit there.

The video is plainly misleading. Pictures of flowers on the railings are from a poor unfortunate soul who deliberately took their own life, and the following shot of a blue car on the tracks, I believe was the driver's fault for mistaking the tracks for Dover Road, both of which full barriers would not have prevented, especially in the case of the car driver as the barriers were up. Network rail have addressed that by installing lit-up blue led lights (cat's eyes) in the road to show the edge of the carriageway.

And tell me... why did none of the drivers on the opposite side of the crossing leap out of their cars to grab him and to warn him? I know I would have.

While this link only has 2015 data, I read it to be quite a safe crossing despite its high-risk rating.

http://abcrailwayguide.uk/crescent-r...n#.XSoRq3vTWUk

The danger to the elderly gentleman was more from his possible confusion than the risk from only two half barriers.

I've seen much worse at full barriers with skirts crossings in Southport from young men jumping over them, some with bikes because they haven't got the patience to wait.

Originally Posted by local

You mean where the motorcyclist crossed the double white solid lines ??

Yes, crossed double white lines to ride on the wrong side of the road?

This Half Barrier Crossing was installed in the very early 60's 60 61 or 62 as my Dad was a signalman at Crescent Rd until the barriers were installed and the signal box closed. Unlike the other crossings Portland St/Duke St/ Aughton Rd/Birkdale/Ainsdale this crossing is not worked by a signaller at the signalling centre at Sandhills it is worked by the passage of trains hence the half barrier so as to make an escape route should there be a problem. If it was controlled by the signalling Centre it could be fully closed but it isn't and in 60 years the number of incidents there are hardly prolific and if someone wanted to get on the railway a 4' barrier aint going to stop them.

By the way I hope the Concerned Resident who isn't concerned about breaking road traffic laws on his motorbike gets a knock on the door from Merseyside Police.

Originally Posted by gsgsgs

Yes, crossed double white lines to ride on the wrong side of the road?

Yes thats the ones solid white lines a TS50 and three points seems apposite.