Scott backs railway crossings clarity call

widespread confusion, says msp

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LIBERAL Democrat leader Tavish Scott has backed calls by Highland councillors for greater clarity on who is responsible for safety at railway level crossings.

Mr Scott said yesterday: “There has been widespread confusion about who is really responsible for level crossing safety in Scotland.”

His comments come in the wake of criticism by Lochaber councillors Bill Clark and Eddie Hunter who claimed rail safety campaigners should be targeting Transport Scotland and not Network Rail for improvements.

But their comments were dismissed by Transport Scotland officials, who said responsibility for crossing safety at the 23 unmanned gate free crossings in Scotland lay firmly at the door of Network Rail. The agency says responsibility for crossing safety lies with the Office of the Rail Regulator and the UK Government as the issue was a reserved Westminster matter.

However, Network Rail Scotland director Ron McAulay said his organisation was responsible for maintaining level crossings and, in conjunction with the Office of Rail Regulation, for assessing the level of safety provision required at each.

But he said Network Rail was not funded to upgrade crossings where there was no justification identified from a change in the level of risk at a crossing. Where no such justification could be identified, funding would have to come from a third-party such as the government or local authority.

Mr Scott, who yesterday met Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson, said: “There are dozens of agencies involved, at least one of which the transport minister is directly responsible for.

“We need to know what immediate action he has taken as a stop-gap to prevent any more loss of life; who has the final say and we need also need to see the preliminary findings of the Rail Accident Investigation Branch’s inquiry into the risks posed by these crossings.”