No change to Ufton Nervet level crossing despite fatality

Following the tragic events of November 2004 when seven people died and hundreds were injured after a train hit a car parked across the tracks and several other deaths and near misses in the intervening years, on Tuesday, teacher David Montague, a 45-year-old father of two, from Woodley, was killed when his scooter was hit by a high speed train.
Last week a survivor of the 2004 crash, Jane Hakwer, from Newbury, called for a full barrier to be installed at the crossing to prevent vehicles driving on to the tracks when a train approaches.
The Newbury Weekly News and website Newburytoday.co.uk was contacted by several other people who asked for the same change to be made.
Thatcham resident Max Dowding said he and his wife had been affected by the delays on Tuesday and had witnessed first hand the dangers of the crossing.
“Either last year, or earlier this year, my wife and I were walking along the Kennet and Avon canal near to the crossing.
The barriers went down and a train passed through, but both of us thought, that the time between barrier warning sound, and train crossing was very short,” he said.
“We decided to wait until another train came to check this. We did not have long to wait and was some what amazed to hear and see the barriers operate, and a train pass in less than 30 seconds.
“I don’t believe the crossing should be closed, but I do think it should be changed to a full barrier,” he said.
Key questions posed by the Newbury Weekly News regarding the possible closure of the crossing, increased safety features, potential for review of the line speed in the wake of recent incidents or questions relating to the future of the crossing were passed on by the Rail Safety and Standards Board, who said it would have no further involvement, to Network Rail.
A spokeswoman for Network Rail, Sam Kelly, said Ufton Nervet had the appropriate safety measures in place and complied with safety guidelines set by the Office for Rail Regulation.
She said any risk assessment process took into account a range of factors including line speed, number of vehicles and number of trains.
And this week, First Great Western distanced itself from the issue of barrier safety, overcrowding on carriages *(see story below) and general railway safety despite calls from the MP for Wokingham John Redwood to install seatbelts among other alterations.
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch immediately launched an investigation into last week’s fatality, however those seeking answers will have to wait as the findings of another probe into a near miss at the tracks in September 2011 by the same body still have not been published.
Mr Montague was a teacher at the Reading Blue Coat School, which was in mourning following his death.
A statement released by the school on its Facebook page said: “We are shocked and devastated to lose David, who was a well respected colleague and completely committed to his teaching.”