Blakedown crossing could change (From Kidderminster Shuttle)

Blakedown crossing could change

7:00am Saturday 6th February 2010 in News

THERE are plans to make Blakedown’s level crossing unmanned and control it via CCTV, it has been revealed to The Shuttle.

The crossing would be remotely controlled from a central base, meaning a person would not be working in the village train station’s signal box.

Network Rail said the practice was “common” at locations across the country but some Blakedown residents are worried the system could be abused.

Parish councillor, Jim Long, said having a member of staff in the signal box would encourage people to use the crossing properly.

He claimed there had been “near misses” at the crossing, often involving youngsters, and was concerned an unmanned box could be a “recipe for disaster”.

He added: “People behave better when there’s the possibility of their behaviour being reported.”

A spokeswoman for Network Rail said the new system would be introduced “eventually” but not “for the next couple of years”.

She went on: “There’s no way that we would change to a system that wouldn’t be at least as safe, if not even more safe.”

Network Rail told The Shuttle there had been “a number of incidents of misuse by motorists and pedestrians” over the last two years at the crossing, which is used by scores of people every day.

The plans are part of a revamp along the whole Birmingham to Worcester line, which passes though Stourbridge and Kidderminster.

Rob Hebron, chairman of the Stourbridge Line User Group, said although he understood why residents would be concerned, he thought the new system would improve the service for passengers.

He explained: “Resignalling will remove control of Blakedown crossing to Stourbridge Junction signal box initially, then Saltley later.

“The electronic locking of modern signalling, with the human input from CCTV is safer than 19th century systems.”

He went on: “It allows more trains to come through so there could be a more frequent service. From the point of view of Blakedown residents, though, they will probably be unhappy about an unmanned level crossing being there even though there are instances of it all over the country.”