Teynham railway crossing where Amazon driver killed after van hit by train has history of near misses
The railway crossing where an Amazon delivery driver died when his van was hit by a train has a history of near misses, KentOnline can reveal. Services from London Victoria to Ramsgate were stopped at around 12.40pm on Sunday after the fatal collision at Bax Crossing in Teynham, between Sittingbourne and Faversham.
Both Bax and the nearby Frognal Farm crossing in Lower Road were labelled as "A2" risk intersections in 2021 by Network Rail, which means it is has the highest risk of death for a user of the crossing and the second highest risk to all users, including train crew and passengers. Between April 2017 and March 2024 there were six near-misses at the Bax Crossing, but since their new measure was brought in there hasn't been a near miss reproted.
Network Rail says it also plans to install lights at Frognal Farm Crossing where, since April 2017, there have been three near-miss incidents. That latest incident was in March 2023. People living near the crossings told KentOnline they are safe if people follow the advice on the signs next to them.
Former electrician, Keith Crucher, has lived next to Frognal Farm crossing in Lower Road for 71 years.
Picture: Joe Crossley
Picture: Joe Crossley
The grandad of three first heard about the accident while channel hopping between Chelsea vs Paris Saint-Germain and England vs Wales football matches after his daughter called him to say that she had been stopped at the police cordon due to an accident on the tracks around 2.15pm. He says that the crossings should not be closed as local farmers use them regularly.
The 82-year-old added: "As an old cable joiner, I used to say 'if you use it properly, you won't get accidents' and that's the case with the crossings. "I used to use them when I used to go shooting, but I wouldn't walk across them now as the bullet trains go so fast now.
"You look up and there's nothing there, and then you look again and the train is on you." Annette Hughes was on the way back from the Co-op convenience shop in London Road where she works, when she reached the cordon. After explaining to officers that she lived just past the cordon at the houses at Bax Farm, the 57-year-old was allowed to return home and later saw an air ambulance landing.
The grandmother of three, who has lived in the area for 35 years, said the crossings are safe.
Picture: Joe Crossley
She said: "If you do what the signs say it's safe. "It's not that hard to follow what to do as there is lights and a loud alarm that tell you whether it's safe or not."
Annette told her neighbour, Shelly Summers, about the accident. Grandmother of six Shelly, says it was the first incident she has heard of at the crossings since she moved to the farmhouses six months ago.
The 58-year-old former Sittingbourne Iceland retail assistant said: "It's just an unfortunate accident. We have delivery drivers and postmen here all the time.
"People need to take notice of what the signs say." Network Rail spent GBP450,000 installing red-green miniature stop lights (MSLs) at Bax crossing in March last year in a bid to make it safer.
More user-friendly signage, including pictograms on how to use the crossing safely, larger gates were also put up while the approach to the crossing was straightened and improved.
The main users of the crossing, who have a responsibility to brief any visitors to their site, were briefed on the correct use of the red-green lights and how to operate the crossing. David Davidson, chief operating officer for the South Eastern Railway, said on behalf of Network Rail: "Our thoughts remain with the family and loved ones of the van driver who tragically lost their life following a collision with one of our trains on Sunday. "We are closely co-operating with the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB), the British Transport Police (BTP) and the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) as part of their enquiries."
The company had attempted to make the crossings, which see 151 trains travel through them every day, safer before the latest rounds of safety measures.
In March 2017 it had installed a Power Operated Gate Opener Technology (POGO).
These are gates where a user has to call up the operator to see if it's safe to cross. If given the all clear, they can press one button to open both gates. It means the user does not have to go back and forth over the line to open and shut the gates.
However, at Bax Crossing, there were three near misses in quick succession after the measure was introduced.
This included one incident when an oil tanker driver misunderstood signage explaining how the gate worked. On July 31, 2017, Network Rail decommissioned the equipment at Bax crossing. However, it remained in place at Frognal Farm on the basis that the crossing was less used and had lower levels of misuse than Bax - an assumption that would later be proved wrong by investigators.
Just after 3pm on October 23, 2017, a DPD delivery van was hit by a high-speed Javelin train travelling at 89mph at Frognal Farm crossing.
The front of the van was hit by the nose cone of the leading carriage of the train, and was spun round.
The rear of the vehicle lifted into the air so that the back of the van hit the second carriage of the train, causing gouging and severe damage. The 30-year-old male delivery driver suffered severe lacerations and two breaks in his right shoulder blade. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch published a report into the incident in August 2018 and found that the driver had not phoned the operator before crossing.
Following the investigation, the POGO was decommissioned.
An air ambulance was also called to Lower Road, which was cordoned off between Hempsted Lane and Frognal Lane.
British Transport Police said in an update this morning: "The incident is not believed to be suspicious, and a file will be prepared for the coroner." Rail services between Canterbury East and London Victoria had been suspended but resumed today (July 14) from around 5.10am. Video footage, which KentOnline has chosen not to publish, shows large flames coming from the crossing after the crash.
An Amazon spokesman said: "This is a terrible incident and our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the delivery driver's family and loved ones during this difficult time. "We will work with police and the delivery service provider as they investigate."
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) confirmed it has launched a "preliminary examination" after its inspectors visited the site to gather evidence. A RAIB spokeswoman added: "A decision on whether or not an investigation will be launched will be taken in the coming days."
Meanwhile, Southeastern boss, Steve White, said the firm is "fully assisting" the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) investigation.
He said: "Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the van driver who tragically lost their life following a collision with one of our trains earlier today."