Barton Road Railway Crossing Shut Amid Visibility and Safety Concerns

Network Rail has announced the immediate temporary closure of Barton Road footpath crossing in Long Eaton, citing urgent safety concerns.

The decision, taken on Thursday 12 February, follows recent inspections which identified increased risks for people using the crossing. Officials said the measure was necessary to protect the public while remedial work is carried out.

The crossing requires users to stop, look and listen before stepping onto the railway. However, checks revealed two key issues that heightened concern:

• An increase in vulnerable users who may struggle to cross the railway in a reasonable time – this can include the young, elderly, those with large items such as bikes, and those with mobility difficulties.

• The sighting from the safe vantage point at the crossing is partly obscured by overgrown vegetation.

During the closure, pedestrians are being directed to use the nearby Meadow Lane crossing as an alternative route across the railway.

Richard Tew, Network Rail head of health, safety and environment, said:

“Given our understanding of the risk at this crossing, we feel an emergency closure is the only safe option. We‘re sorry for the disruption this will cause to the local community. We‘ll urgently carry out vegetation work in the coming days to make sure users can see clearly if a train is approaching. This should enable us to reopen the crossing for public use.“

Network Rail said vegetation clearance will be undertaken in the coming days with the aim of restoring clear sightlines and reopening the route as soon as it is safe to do so.

Image: Network Rail