A pavement route across a railway is easy to treat as just another crossing point. For mobility scooter users, level crossings carry particular considerations: a scooter has a longer turning circle than a pedestrian, sits low to the ground and can limit the rider’s view. This guide sets out what Network Rail, which manages the crossings on the network in England, Wales and Scotland, says to crossing users, and what a Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) report and the rail regulator’s follow-up said about mobility scooters. It applies to Great Britain and is general safety information, not a substitute for the signs and instructions at any particular crossing.
Passive and active crossings
Network Rail describes nearly 6,000 level crossings on the network across England, Wales and Scotland. It divides them into two broad groups. At a passive crossing there is no warning of a train’s approach other than the train driver, who may use the horn, so it is the user’s responsibility to stop, look and listen. At an active crossing the user is warned through barriers, gates, warning lights or alarms, and operation can be automatic or manual (Network Rail, “Level crossing safety”). Knowing which type applies matters because a passive crossing depends entirely on what the user can see and hear.
Advice for footpath crossings
For crossings on footpaths and bridleways, Network Rail’s rules are to read the instruction signs, check both directions for trains and obey any warning lights and alarms. It adds that users should avoid distractions such as mobile phones or headphones near the crossing, cross quickly and carefully without stopping on the crossing, and never assume it is safe because a train has just passed, since another could be hidden from view (Network Rail, “Using level crossings safely”).
Advice for station crossings
Network Rail’s station crossing user guide includes specific points for wheelchair and mobility scooter users:
- check carefully before crossing, make sure the exit is clear and allow enough space to manoeuvre past other crossing users;
- seek help from others to cross if you are a wheelchair or mobility scooter user, or have a sighting or hearing impairment, where the crossing calls for it;
- if a view of the other line is blocked by a train in the platform, wait until all directions are clear, and never assume a train will stop, because express, freight and engineering trains may not be stopping;
- where there are red and green lights, cross only on green, and do not cross if the light is red or an alarm sounds;
- listen to staff where the crossing is operated by station staff, and never cross at an undesignated spot.
The guide also warns that trains, crowds or station features can hide an approaching train, and that this can be made worse for someone on a wheelchair or mobility scooter (Network Rail, “How to use pedestrian level crossings at railway stations safely”). It also notes that items with small wheels, such as luggage, can become trapped between the rails and the crossing surface.
What the RAIB found at one footpath crossing
The RAIB’s Report 14/2017, published on 26 October 2017, concerned an accident at Alice Holt footpath crossing in Bentley, Hampshire, on 5 October 2016, in which a mobility scooter was struck by a train and the user died. The report concluded that the user probably did not see the train or misjudged its arrival, possibly because of sun glare, that fencing limited the view of an approaching train, and that the user did not react to the horn, possibly because it was not heard. It also found that Network Rail’s guidance for level crossing managers did not include any advice on use by mobility scooter users. The RAIB recommended that Network Rail’s management processes be changed so that mobility scooter use is considered at all crossings which rely on users looking and listening for trains (RAIB, “Report 14/2017: Fatal accident at Alice Holt footpath crossing, Hampshire”).
What the regulator recorded afterwards
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) wrote to the RAIB in December 2020 to record that the recommendation was implemented. The letter sets out the intended scope of Network Rail’s review: the size, speed and turning characteristics of mobility scooters, the position of users’ heads relative to ground level, the growing use of scooters, how risk assessments at individual crossings consider likely scooter use, and educating scooter users about crossing safely. It records that Network Rail issued guidance for level crossing managers on factors such as turning circles and head position, and that provision for scooter users would be considered for a future version of its risk management toolkit. The ORR also states that modifying every crossing was not required, since Network Rail’s duty to modify is limited to what is reasonably practicable (ORR, “RAIB Report: Fatal accident at Alice Holt footpath crossing, Hampshire, 5 October 2016: update on recommendation 1”).
Questions readers often ask
Where are the wider rules for scooters on roads and pavements?
The advice above is specific to railway crossings and comes from Network Rail and the RAIB. For the road and pavement rules that apply to scooters generally, see our guide to mobility scooters and the Highway Code.
What if the crossing is busy or the view is blocked?
Network Rail’s guide says an obstructed view means do not cross, and that help from others may be needed. It advises waiting until all tracks are clear.
The bottom line
Network Rail’s advice for scooter users at level crossings is to read the signs, check both directions, treat a blocked view as a reason not to cross, and seek help where the crossing calls for it. The RAIB’s report on the 2016 Alice Holt accident led to a review of how Network Rail’s crossing management accounts for scooters, including turning circles and the rider’s head position, though the regulator recorded that not every crossing had to be altered.
Sources
- Network Rail, “Level crossing safety” (networkrail.co.uk)
- Network Rail, “Using level crossings safely” (networkrail.co.uk)
- Network Rail, “How to use pedestrian level crossings at railway stations safely” (PDF) (networkrail.co.uk)
- RAIB, “Report 14/2017: Fatal accident at Alice Holt footpath crossing, Hampshire” (gov.uk)
- ORR, “RAIB Report: Fatal accident at Alice Holt footpath crossing, Hampshire, 5 October 2016” (recommendation 1 update) (orr.gov.uk)