Railroad near misses doubled last year as more walk along the tracks

The number of near-misses on Dutch railroads almost doubled last year, ProRail reports. In 2022 there were 95 almost-accidents on the tracks, compared to 43 the year before. According to the rail manager, the increase is entirely due to more people walking on the tracks.

“Surprisingly, this growth is due to an increase in the number of near-misses on the open tracks and at stations,” ProRail said. “The cause: people who are in a place near the railway where they have no business being.”

Level crossings are becoming safer, ProRail said. Last year there were fewer near-misses and fatal accidents around level crossings. That is partly due to the rail company working actively to close unguarded crossings. Of the 180 public unguarded level crossings in the country, 112 have been closed since 2018.

Between 2000 and 2010, an average of 25 people died around level crossings each year. Last year, only two people died in an accident at a level crossing. “The average of the past five years has fallen to just under five fatalities per year,” ProRail said. “Our ambition is to have even fewer level crossings and thus even more safety.”