Why two level crossings in Oxfordshire are causing problems for Network Rail

Network Rail is struggling to acquire the land needed to help close a foot crossing for good.

A temporary closure until February 2026 has been put in place at Wantage Road crossing in Grove, west of Didcot, after 14 reported near misses in the last 12 months. Nationally, 457 out of 467 level crossing near misses in 2024 involved pedestrians.

Cameras at Wantage Road have recorded teenagers sitting on crossing with their backs to traffic where the line speed is 125mph.

Network Rail (NR) wants to divert the footpath to a nearby overbridge but has been told by the council the path needs to be four metres wide.

While the landowner on one side is happy to sell the space required, the one on the other isn’t, even after the proposed path width was reduced to 2.6 metres.

John Kelly, NR’s Head of Operational Risk for Wales & Western, said problems at Wantage Road have been going in for around ten years.

“We can’t accept that sort of risk,” he said. “It’s always been of high concern to GWR drivers.”

The number of incidents at Wantage Road has increased over the past decade, which coincides with the construction of new houses nearby.

“Since it’s been closed we have had one or two people saying ‘why have you closed it because of some teenagers messing about’. There are grown adults going through and doing stupid stuff.

“We’ve had trespass and vandalism of the barriers (since the closure), we think knocking them down trying to gain access. We are making that more robust.”

While two-track crossings can be fitted with Miniature Stop Lights, those across four tracks can’t as the system does not integrate with so many running lines. Network Rail has four such crossings on the Western Route.

Wantage Road isn’t the only Oxfordshire crossing that’s causing Network Rail problems.

Further north, between Oxford and Banbury, NR is still trying to arrange a permanent replacement for the crossing by Tackley station, five years after the temporary closure was put in place and footbridge put in.

NR put Tackley crossing in the top 10% of overall risk category of the 545 level crossings on the Western Route.

Part of the closure involves redirecting a bridleway used by horse riders.

NR’s plan to run the bridleway alongside the railway for 860 metres caused concern amongst riders who feared their horses being spooked by passing trains.

In May a planning inspector recommended a Transport and Works Act Order to install the bridleway was not made. The Secretary of State agreed that she was not minded to approve the application.

The current line speed through Tackley is 90mph which increase to 110mph to the south and 95mph to the north. More than 100 trains a day use the route.

NR told an inquiry that permanent closure of the crossing would “allow an immediate increase to line speed through Tackley station to 95mph for non-stopping trains”.

“This is achievable without necessitating work and does not depend upon down-the-line closures. It would allow faster journey times, and to major conurbations. A further increase, to 100mph, would also be achievable with some minor works.”

Kelly said NR was still looking at options to lower the risk through Tackley, but admitted: “As for a permanent solution, we’re not there yet.”

Increasing the line speed will also increase capacity on the route.

“The route is not fully utilised for either freight or passenger trains at the moment,” he said.

“It’s particularly frustrating.”

Network Rail and British Transport Police have started a new campaign targeting unsafe behaviour on the railway after accidental deaths on the network rose by 26% year on year. 

Twenty-four people were killed in preventable accidents in 2024, including five at level crossings and 19 which were as a result of crossing the railway at unauthorised locations.