Network Rail and Egham’s Chamber of Commerce have called for improvements to be made on Egham’s level crossings after they failed on two separate occasions.

Of Egham’s three level crossings – one located parallel to Rusham Road on Station Road another in Pooley Green, intersecting the B388 and the third on Prune Hill – two have failed in the past year.

On 8 November last year the level crossing at Pooley Green failed after a barrier was jammed after a piece of the barrier became dislodged. Another of Egham’s crossings failed on 27 January this year where it was discovered that the barrier had been bent out of shape. The line was kept open in spite of the failed barrier due to the fact that the sirens and warning lights were still fully functioning.

Meher Oliaji of Egham’s Chamber of Commerce claimed that people had risked their lives by continuing their journey either by car or on foot under the static barrier and stated that investment was needed to ensure that the technology didn’t fail in the future.

Network Rail issued an apologetic statement to anyone whose journey was affected by the incident, and reiterated that that drivers and pedestrians should always abide by the warning lights and sirens even when a barrier had failed.