Delivery Driver Admits Fault After Van Hit by Passenger Train

A delivery driver has admitted failing to follow the correct safety procedure at a level crossing after his van was struck by a passenger train in Cumbria. The collision occurred in Braystones, near Egremont, on 13 September and led to the railway line being shut for several hours, although no injuries were reported.

The court heard that William Backhouse had been delivering parcels in the area and was returning from properties along the beach when he attempted to cross the level crossing. At the time, a southbound passenger train carrying 10 people was approaching at a speed of 49mph.

Prosecutors said Backhouse manually opened the crossing gates without contacting the signaller for permission to cross, which is a requirement at that type of crossing. CCTV footage shown to the court captured him bypassing the established protocol moments before the crash.

Pam Fee, prosecuting, said:

"Backhouse is lucky he wasn't a bit further forward or he would have been seriously injured."

The train struck the front of the van but the driver was able to apply the emergency brakes, preventing more serious consequences. Backhouse, aged 30, later appeared before magistrates in Workington, where he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and to endangering the safety of people travelling on the railway.

Now living in Bury St Edmunds, Backhouse was handed an interim driving ban. He is due to return to court for sentencing at Ipswich Magistrates’ Court on 26 February.

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