Bourneview footpath crossing (courtesy of British Transport Police).
Purley schoolboy Jaiden Shehata was struck by a Southern train travelling at 50mph at the Bourneview footpath crossing when he was walking to school in January.
The site does not have warning lights or barriers and users are expected to stop, look, listen and decide when to cross.
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch said the accident happened because the pedestrian did not perceive the risk associated with the approaching train, probably because they were distracted by their mobile phone.
As a result of the accident, RAIB has made three recommendations, one to the curriculum setters for schools throughout the United Kingdom to work with railway infrastructure managers to introduce targeted and locally relevant railway safety lessons to pupils of all ages.
There are two further recommendations, addressed to Network Rail, working with the Rail Safety and Standards Board. The first of these aims to make the dangerous area at level crossings more noticeable, particularly to people whose attention may be distracted. The final recommendation is to understand the risk profile of younger people and whether this warrants different approaches to risk mitigation at level crossings.
RAIB also identified a learning point to consider what action could be taken to alert users to the danger of individual level crossings where the provisions of its standards cannot be met, and to record these considerations in the crossing risk assessment.
Lucy McAuliffe, Sussex route director for Network Rail, said the crossing was temporarily closed in August and miniature stop lights will be installed next month.
These will “improve safety by providing a clear signal and warning sound to let people know when it is safe to cross,” she said.
