Emergency closure of Coldblow level crossing after ‘dangerous behaviour’
Article Summary
Source-basedOn 26 October 2026 Network Rail announced the temporary closure of Coldblow level crossing, near Walmer in Kent, after repeated incidents of dangerous misuse, the company said. South Eastern Railway’s specialist safety team will use the closure to assess measures to improve safety and further information will be shared in due course. Reported incidents include a near miss between a car and a bicycle, multiple occasions when motorcycles or electric scooters crossed through pedestrian gates, and a recent event in which a train applied emergency brakes and stopped short to avoid a collision with a car.
Recorded observations over a nine-day period showed 39 instances of motorcycles or electric scooters using pedestrian gates and 138 occasions of dog walkers with dogs off the lead, the report said. The crossing has red and green warning lights and manual gates; around 25 vehicles use it per day and around 60 trains pass the line daily. South Eastern Railway said it is working with British Transport Police and local partners on education, enforcement and community engagement; diversionary arrangements are in place for road users while the crossing remains closed.
RailZoom Intelligence Brief
Original synthesisLead
Network Rail announced on 26 October 2026 the temporary closure of Coldblow level crossing, near Walmer in Kent, following repeated incidents of dangerous misuse, the company said. South Eastern Railway’s specialist safety team will use the closure to assess options to improve safety at the crossing. British Transport Police is involved with enforcement and reporting routes are provided for the public.
Verified facts
Network Rail said it has temporarily closed Coldblow level crossing after incidents of dangerous misuse were recorded. The closure follows a near miss involving a car and a bicycle and a more recent incident in which a train applied its emergency brakes and stopped short of the crossing to avoid a collision with a car. Over a nine-day observation period the report recorded 39 instances of motorcycles or electric scooters crossing the railway through pedestrian gates and 138 occasions when dog walkers had dogs off the lead. The crossing currently has red and green warning lights and manual gates that users must open before crossing. The report states around 25 vehicles use the crossing each day and around 60 trains use the line daily. While the crossing is closed, an appropriate diversionary route is in place. Additional safety measures are to be assessed by South Eastern Railway’s specialist safety team and further information will be shared in due course.
Organizations and responsibilities
- Network Rail: Announced and implemented the temporary closure of Coldblow level crossing and is participating in prevention through engineering and operational control, according to the report. - South Eastern Railway (SER): Assigned a specialist safety team to assess options for improving safety at the crossing; the report names Vincent van der Hoeven as Head of Route Quality Health Safety & Environment for South Eastern Railway and attributes safety-focused statements to the organisation. SER is also running local engagement activities including visits to schools and operates the Travel Safe, Travel Smart Centre in Margate for educational sessions. - British Transport Police (BTP): Identified as working with South Eastern Railway and Network Rail to tackle the issue; the report provides BTP contact methods for reporting dangerous behaviour (text 61016 or call 0800 40 50 40) and directs emergencies to 999. - Local partners: Described in the report as collaborating with SER and Network Rail on education, enforcement and community engagement; specific local partner organisations are Not publicly disclosed.
Operational and commercial context
The report provides operational parameters: the crossing is equipped with red/green warning lights and manual vehicle and pedestrian gates, and is used by around 25 vehicles per day while approximately 60 trains pass the line daily. The temporary closure creates a diversionary route for road users; the report does not disclose the length, expected duration or commercial impact of the closure. South Eastern Railway said the closure will allow its specialist safety team to assess whether additional safety measures are needed. The report states SER will plan visits to local schools and engage in education and enforcement alongside British Transport Police; these initiatives are presented as steps to reduce unsafe behaviour, not as contractual or capital works commitments. No contractors, capital cost figures, funding sources, or timetable for remedial works are disclosed. The report cites the national No Second Chances campaign as context for the safety message but does not detail any new policy measures or regulatory actions.
Sources
https://news.railbusinessdaily.com/emergency-closure-of-coldblow-level-crossing-after-dangerous-behaviour/ - Rail Business Daily
Disclosure
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