7 March 2014
Risk at level crossings – an overview
Following today’s publication of the Transport Committee’s ‘Safety at level crossings’
report, RSSB has collated and issued some safety performance data, to help
understanding of the nature of the risk.
RSSB is the independent not-for-profit body which supports the rail industry working
together to understand risk, guide standards, drive research and innovation, and
improve performance, and this includes support to manage the risk at level crossings.

Britain’s level crossings are among the safest in Europe, second only to
Luxembourg (with a rail network of 274km and 142 level crossings, compared to
32,000km in Britain and over 6,300 level crossings).

The level crossings on the national mainline rail network see over 60 billion train
kilometres every year, and in the current financial year to the end of March 2014
(so far), there have been 7 accidental fatalities at crossings, and 12 collisions
between road vehicles and trains at crossings. 9 people (four pedestrians and
five road vehicle occupants) died in accidents at level crossings in 2012/13.

There is evidence of long term reductions in risk at level crossings. Details of all
the data published by RSSB on level crossing safety can be found in the most
recent Annual Safety Performance Report which was published in June 2013, in
particular chapter 9 of the report.
RSSB said:
‘The Committee’s report identifies issues around the way Network Rail dealt with events
in the past. Network Rail has apologised unreservedly and is committed to
improvement, and we support them.
‘The role of RSSB is to collate and analyse data to support the industry in making good
decisions, but we never forget that behind every piece of date can be a personal
RSSB, Block 2, Angel Square, 1 Torrens Street, London, EC1V 1NY
Telephone: +44 (0)20 3142 5300 www.rssb.co.uk
Rail Safety and Standards Board Limited Registered Office: Block 2 Angel Square 1 Torrens Street London EC1V 1NY Registered in England No. 04655675
tragedy. RSSB supports the industry in embedding a risk-based approach and through
research provides the evidence base to improve level crossing safety. ’
-EndsFor further information, please contact the RSSB press office, on 020 3142 5331/ 5332 /
5333 or email pressoffice@rssb.co.uk or visit the website on www.rssb.co.uk
Notes to Editors:
1. About RSSB
RSSB is an independent, not-for-profit organisation whose purpose is to support our members
and consequently the industry to:



Where reasonably practicable, continuously improve the level of safety in the rail industry
Drive out unnecessary cost
Improve business performance
Our activities focus on understanding risk, guiding standards, driving research and innovation,
and improving performance, all in a range of services by the whole industry, for the whole
industry, to deliver a better railway.
The rail industry in Britain is made up of many different organisations, but they all form a system
and share a common purpose, ultimately to move people and freight safely and efficiently by rail.
RSSB bring all parts of this system together to support shared decisions, products and services,
to help industry drive out unnecessary cost, improve business performance and develop longterm strategy.
Our activities involve:




Understanding risk – using safety intelligence from across the rail industry and
elsewhere with the latest risk modelling to inform members and support decision making.
Guiding standards – producing the Rule Book; creating, reviewing and simplifying
standards; changing the UK approach to standards to fit with European requirements; all
the with the aim of making it easier for the railway to deliver efficiently and safety.
Driving research and innovation – undertaking, commissioning and managing research
and innovation programmes to address current needs, provide knowledge for decision
making and for new technologies to deliver the Rail Technical Strategy.
Improving performance – principally the role of our members in their own organisations,
but RSSB is often asked to support activities which require cross industry collaboration
from supplier assurance schemes (RISQS, RISAS) to confidential reporting (CIRAS),
from health and wellbeing strategies to sustainability principles, from supporting system
interface committees to procuring new rolling stock data systems for the industry.
We are run by the whole industry, for the whole industry, with member companies from across
the mainline system. The purpose and go-ahead for our services comes from the industry itself,
and from the involvement of cross-industry groups.
RSSB, Block 2, Angel Square, 1 Torrens Street, London, EC1V 1NY
Telephone: +44 (0)20 3142 5300 www.rssb.co.uk
Rail Safety and Standards Board Limited Registered Office: Block 2 Angel Square 1 Torrens Street London EC1V 1NY Registered in England No. 04655675