Knaresborough rail crossing closed after near miss involving child

A rail crossing in Knaresborough has been closed due to serious safety concerns, including a recent near miss involving a train and a child.

Frogmire Lane level crossing is set to be closed for 21-days from 19th February.

A number of safety concerns contributed to the decision, including:

• the curved railway alignment and seasonal vegetation, which obstruct visibility
• coasting trains on the line which are difficult to hear
• the crossing sees a high number of school-aged children
• issues of misuse and vandalism

Dave Smith, Network Rail's route level crossing manager, emphasized the safety risks:

“Our view is that Frogmire Lane level crossing presents an unacceptable level of risk, and our application for an emergency closure on safety grounds has been accepted by the local authority.

“We’re sorry for any inconvenience caused to crossing users. Decisions like this are not taken lightly, but our priority is always to keep the public safe, and the combination of poor sight lines, high levels of misuse and the number of vulnerable users means urgent action was needed.”

Network Rail are aiming to get a six-month closure extension approved after the 21 days are up.

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