Update 16 August 2007

The bridge is now open, and the gates lock when trains are passing. There is still some work to do on the fencing and surroundings but this should be completed by the end of August.

Network Rail said it would be carried out ‘by the end of the year’ but determined efforts by Simon Chapman - who was in charge of the project - and his staff meant that it was completed last week.

Credit also goes to the local paper Herts & Essex Observer for the campaign they ran,
and also the efforts of RailPro magazine which undoubtedly added pressure.

One addition we would like to see is digital information boards, giving details of how long the gates will be closed, and how long people will have to wait (particularly important for those unable to use the bridge). It is now standard practice to give information on platforms to passengers about forthcoming trains – why can’t that be done at the crossing? Recent reports have indicated the stress that travellers suffer, some of
which is due to lack of information: why don’t we relieve some of that stress? This
should be something adopted throughout the country – and for motorists as well as foot passengers.

Of course, corporate Network Rail continue to peddle the fiction that the bridge has
only been put in because of increasing traffic on the line.

Even more annoying is their continued reference to the bridge and locked gates making
the crossing ‘even safer’, the implication being that the crossing was already safe. The safety assessments proved the crossing had serious flaws: it is time Network Rail acknowledged that.

We also have found out that they are starting work immediately on a bridge at
Downham Market, another dangerous crossing, where there have been recorded near misses. At least it seems a message has finally got across, though they are keeping it
very quiet.

Update 1 August 2007

Work is proceeding rapidly on the bridge at Elsenham and it is expected to be open
within a week. However, although a new gate is in place, it will not be locked for a
while yet.

UPDATE- 4 OCTOBER 2006

Network Rail has announced that they are planning to build a footbridge over the track at Elsenham and that the gates will be locked. There are no details yet of what form the bridge will take and undoubtedly it will take a while to gain planning permission and carry out the work but we hope that everyone including the planning authorities will speed up the process as much as possible to avoid any delays.

Further information can be found at Herts and Essex Observer, who lead the campaign to get the gates locked and we thank them and the readers for all they did.

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We have now set up a "Blog" where you can find information on the investigations into the accidient. The address is www.rail-safety.blogsport.com

UPDATE 11 MAY 2006

Network Rail are launching a TV and radio advertising campaign about level crossing safety on Thursday 18th May. This is mostly focussed on road traffic use of the crossings but there is one radio ad about pedestrians being killed by a train. This is not being aired on radio stations around Essex but will be heard on national and other local radio stations. We wanted to let you know so that if you hear it you are not too shocked by it.

We are pleased that the rail industry have taken steps to raise awareness of safety issues, this is mostly as a result of the accident at Ufton Nevett in Nov 04 where a train hit a car on a level crossing, but we will make sure that it doesn't stop at that. Having worked in advertising for many years, Tina is very aware that no matter how shocking an advertising campaign may be it will have a very small, and probably short lived impact on awareness and even less impact on behaviour.

The money might have been better spent on putting locks on the pedestrian gates that are still left unlocked.

UPDATE 26 APRIL 2006

The first post gives details of an article published in Rail Professional which is highly critical of Network Rail.