Highest number of fatal accidents on Dutch railway crossings since 2015
Last year, 11 people died in accidents on level crossings on the Dutch railway - the highest number since 2015 and a sharp increase compared to the year before. The number of near-misses is also increasing rapidly, the Telegraaf reports based on figures from the rail manager ProRail.
In the Covid-19 year of 2022, only two people died on level crossings. In 2023, there were six fatal accidents. ProRail records around 30 collisions at level crossings per year.
The number of near-misses is also rising. ProRail now deals with nearly 250 almost-accidents per year. Part of that is better registration. “We are more alert than before and drivers report to us where things often go wrong,” the rail manager told the Telegraaf. But it is also because of risky behavior on the tracks. “People simply do not have the patience. They do not want to wait. They just want to catch that train. Or they think that there will definitely not be another train.”
ProRail has run campaign after campaign about crossing the railway safely, but Wim Eilert of the train union VVMC wonders if they’re effective enough. Though, he adds that alternatives aren’t much better. Physical barriers, for example, can be more dangerous than helpful, as cars could get stuck between them.
“What those people are doing is completely irresponsible. The driver has a heart attack. It is really a crime for them,” he said about the near-misses. And when there’s a collision. “It is the main conductors who have to get out to see if they can do anything.”
