Police target dangerous behaviour at Altrincham level crossing (From Messenger Newspapers)

Police target dangerous behaviour at Altrincham's Navigation Road level crossing

11:30am Thursday 19th January 2012 in News

AN initiative has been launched by police to target dangerous behaviour at an Altrincham level crossing.

In recent months, vehicles have consistently jumped the lights or ignored the signals at the Navigation Road crossing.

Last November, a child was even spotted dashing across the tracks as the barriers began to fall.

British Transport Police (BTP) now aim to carry out an education day on February 1 to combat these problems.

There, motorists and pedestrians will be warned about the dangers of misusing the crossing.

This will be followed up by an enforcement day on February 29 where anybody seen committing an offence will be reported and prosecuted.

Sgt Neil Edwards said: “Navigation Road level crossing is a busy crossing for both vehicular traffic, Northern Trains and Metrolink. “Any incident affecting the crossing has an impact on the community, people travelling by train or tram between Altrincham and Manchester, bus services and road traffic.

“Misuse of the crossing puts everybody’s safety at risk.”

This latest move comes just months after BTP teamed up with Network Rail and Trafford Council to address the same issues.

Speaking at the time, Inspector Michelle Wedderburn said: “Level crossings are perfectly safe when used correctly. Sadly there seems to be a small number of people who are willing to put their lives on the line and run across as trains are approaching.”

From May 2008 to May 2009, BTP warned that the crossing had been abused 26 times, 25 of which included failing to conform to the traffic lights there.

Here is what our readers have had to say about Navigation Road level crossing in the past on messengernewspapers.co.uk.

StephRoseColette.

November 25, 2011.

Navigation Crossings are awful - I completely understand the safety issues surrounding areas such as these however Navigations crossings are notorious for being closed for excessive period of times. I have been sat at the closed crossings on several occasions for 2, 3, more minutes and nothing has gone through. The traffic that gets backed up from here is usually bad and I see many people miss trains and trams because they don't run the tracks even though nothing has come through for so long between one leaving and another coming. I think alternatives should be looked into here - a bridge or something that would ease this area up.

Alty Plus.

November 30, 2011.

I have often been stuck at Navigation road for 15 minutes plus while train after tram after train trundle past at very low speed. Why is it acceptable to prioritise slow moving trains and trams over motorists, it's not like they are thundering through at 100mph. I think a traffic lights system would be fairer that is linked to congestion build up. No excuse for idiots jumping the barriers though, I have seen kids hanging round there for ages and running across at every opportunity just for fun rather than to make a train connection on the other side. Surely a modest CCTV investment isn't too much to ask for GMPTE.

Bob_Smith.

December 1, 2011.

I agree there is no excuse for jumping the barriers. The barriers at Navigation Road are down for too long and as Alty Plus said trains and trams trundle past so there should be a traffic light system for the trains and road users/pedestrians. I just avoid the crossing.