Network Rail urging public to stay alert at North East and Teesside level crossings
Network Rail is reminding members of the public in the North and North-East to stay alert and safe at level crossings ahead of the December 2025 timetable change.
Darren Lord, route level crossings manager at Network Rail in the region, said: "All we ask is that you read the road signs and you look when the crossing activates.
"The crossing activates by a sequence of amber lights and then two red flashing lights and the barriers come down, so observe them.
"They're there to protect you from the trains. They are there for a reason. If you are going to flout the rules to level crossings, you're going to pay a price. It's something that we don't want to see happen."
Launching on Sunday 14 December, the new timetable will see changes to train schedules, including increased frequency and altered timings on several routes.
These changes may result in trains passing through level crossings at different times than local users are accustomed to.
With new services and revised train times coming into effect, user vigilance and patience at level crossings is more critical than ever.
There are 6,000 level crossings in operation across Britain and every level crossing is different depending on the surroundings and its usage.
Over the last four years there were 154 recorded near miss incidents on Network Rail's North and East route, involving pedestrians and drivers at level crossings.
The route comprises Yorkshire and the Humber, the North-East and parts of Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.