Level Crossings

The Law Commission and Scottish Law Commission are conducting a joint review of the law relating to level crossings.  On 22 July 2010 we published a consultation paper, which contains our detailed proposals for law reform.  We welcome written responses from all interested parties.  

Background

There are between 7,500 and 8,000 level crossings in Great Britain.  Level crossings represent the largest single risk of catastrophic train accident on Britain’s railways.  The current law on level crossings is complex, outdated and difficult to access, creating problems for regulators, owners and operators and increasing the safety risk for users.

The project is concerned with examining the legal framework with a view to its modernisation and simplification.  It engages a wide range of areas of the law: railways, highways, health and safety, land, planning, crime, and disability discrimination.  The aim is to make recommendations with a view to reforming the framework so that it is more coherent, accessible and up-to-date, allowing for better regulation and the reduction of risk.