Farmworkers who need to pass over a user worked crossing should be better briefed on how to do so safely following a collision between a train and a tractor in Cambridgeshire.
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has released its report into a collision between a train and agricultural equipment at Kisby user worked crossing, Cambridgeshire, on 19 August 2021.
At around 09:00 hrs, the 04:10 hrs freight train service from Hams Hall (Birmingham) to Felixstowe collided with agri machinery being towed over the railway by a tractor at Kisby user worked crossing, between Whittlesey and March in Cambridgeshire.
The train was travelling at about 66 mph (106 km/h) when it struck the machinery, causing the train driver to suffer minor injuries in the accident, while the tractor driver was uninjured.
The locomotive and one wagon derailed, with both suffering some damage, and there was also extensive damage to the infrastructure of the railway.
The report said the accident happened because the tractor driver did not telephone the signaller before crossing the railway to seek permission to cross.
This was a consequence of the tractor driver not being briefed about the requirement to call the signaller and his belief that he could cross safely by looking for approaching trains.
This probably arose because the authorised user, the person owning land on both sides of the level crossing, was not briefing crossing users in a way which resulted in correct use of the crossing, the report said.
Railway staff were unaware that this was the case until shortly before the accident, RAIB added in the report.
It found that Network Rail was not effectively managing the safe use of Kisby, and some other user worked crossings with telephones, and that this was an underlying factor for the accident.
Said Andrew Hall, chief inspector of rail accidents: “Entering a railway level crossing when a train is approaching is incredibly dangerous and the accident at Kisby, although very serious, came extremely close to having a more tragic outcome.
"It is critical that any farm workers who may need to pass over a user worked crossing are briefed on how to do so safely and that they understand the importance of following the instructions displayed next to the crossing every time it is used."
RAIB has made two recommendations, one addressed to Network Rail and one addressed to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), as a result of its investigation.
These seek improvements in the management and assurance processes applied to user worked crossings and an additional means of communicating crossing safety information to agricultural workers.
RAIB has also written to several organisations representing farmers asking that they remind their members of the importance of following correct procedures at user worked crossings.
