WHERE ROAD MEETS RAIL

The train can't stop.
You can.

Stop, look and listen takes a few seconds.

Britain has nearly 6,000 level crossings, where a road or footpath meets the railway at the same level. Some warn you with barriers and lights; others rely entirely on you. Knowing which is which, and what the Highway Code says, keeps you safe.

≈ 1 MILE to stop at 80 mph

Know your crossing

A quiet rural level crossing with white barriers raised, an empty road crossing the railway tracks between green fields — AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

Stop, look, listen
Obey lights and barriers
Never stop on the tracks
No second chances

THE SHORT ANSWER

Obey the warnings,
or be the warning.

Active crossings warn you of a train.
Passive crossings leave the check to you.

ACTIVE CROSSINGS

Lights, alarms, barriers

Most road crossings have a steady amber light, twin flashing red lights and an alarm. You must stop at the white line, and if the lights keep flashing after a train, another is coming.

Know your crossing

PASSIVE CROSSINGS

It's up to you

At passive crossings there is no warning except perhaps the train's horn. It is the user's responsibility to stop, look and listen before crossing.

Cross safely

THE NUMBERS

Fast, quiet, unstoppable

Network Rail says a train at 80 mph needs about a mile for an emergency stop. Mostly electric trains are also much quieter than they used to be.

See the numbers

KNOW YOUR CROSSING

Pick a crossing,
see how much is on you.

Different crossings protect you in different ways. The bar shows how much each type relies on you to check for trains, from the Highway Code and Network Rail.

Crossing picker

Choose a type of crossingLights with full barriersLights with half barriersGates you open yourselfGates with a railway phoneOpen crossing

Lights with full barriersWait for the lights

Stop behind the white line when the amber light shows, unless you have already crossed it. Only cross when the lights go off and the barriers open.

Lights with half barriersNever zig-zag

Half barriers lower automatically because a train is approaching. Never weave around them, and wait if the red lights keep flashing after a train has passed.

Gates you open yourselfGreen light only

If there are red and green lights, cross only on green. Open the gates on both sides, check the light is still green, cross quickly and close the gates.

Gates with a railway phoneCall first

With no lights, use the railway telephone to check with the signal operator that it is safe, and call again when you are clear.

Open crossingGive way

No gates, barriers, attendant or lights, just a Give Way sign. Look both ways, listen and make sure no train is coming before you cross.

Sources: The Highway Code, rules 291 to 299 (GOV.UK); Network Rail, Level crossing safety.

From the Highway Code rules 291 to 299 and Network Rail's level crossing safety page.

TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING

Thousands of crossings,
a mile to stop.

One number on the network,
one on a train's brakes.

≈ 6,000

Level crossings in England, Wales and Scotland

Network Rail says there are nearly 6,000. It has closed over 1,400 since 2009, as closing a crossing is the only way to remove the risk completely.

NETWORK RAIL

≈ 1 mile

Emergency stopping distance at 80 mph

In a 2026 survey of 2,001 UK adults, 97% did not realise this. At 125 mph, the top speed on much of the East Coast Main Line, it is over a mile.

NETWORK RAIL · 2026

Network Rail recorded five accidental fatalities at level crossings in 2024/25. The Office of Rail and Road says Britain's crossings are among the safest in Europe but still a significant risk to the public.

CROSSING SAFELY

On foot or at the wheel,
four rules.

These come from the Highway Code and Network Rail's advice to level crossing users.

Never stop on the tracks
Don't drive onto a crossing until the road is clear on the other side, and never stop or park on or near a crossing.
Watch for a second train
Check both directions and wait until all tracks are clear. Another train can be hidden from view by a passing one.
Lose the distractions
Headphones, chatting and rushing make it easy to miss a train. Stop, look and listen every time you cross.
If you break down
Get everyone out and clear at once, use the railway telephone if there is one, and only move the vehicle if there is time before a train arrives.

A wooden gate where a countryside footpath crosses a railway line, with the tracks running away through long grass — AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

Twin red warning lights glowing beside a lowered barrier at a level crossing at dusk — AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

WHY TRAINS CAN'T STOP

55 metres
every second.

A Network Rail crossing manager describes a fast train as covering about 55 metres every second. At 125 mph a train covers 100 metres in under two seconds, so an immediate stop is impossible.

To report a safety concern at a level crossing, the Office of Rail and Road points to Network Rail's 24-hour helpline on 03457 11 41 41. Give the crossing's name if you can.

Questions

Questions people ask

What should I do if the amber light comes on as I reach the crossing?

Stop behind the white line. If you have already crossed the white line when the amber light comes on, keep going. Never reverse onto or over a controlled crossing.

Why do the red lights keep flashing after a train has passed?

It means another train will be passing soon. The Highway Code says you must wait until the lights go off and the barriers open.

What if my vehicle touches a height barrier?

Do not continue onto the railway. Overhead electric lines are dangerous, and the clearance is usually 5 metres (16 feet 6 inches) but may be lower.

When should I use the railway telephone?

When a sign tells you to, for example in a large, slow or long low vehicle or when herding animals, and at gated crossings without lights. Call again when clear if asked.

Who is in charge of level crossing safety?

Railway businesses must manage crossing risk; the Office of Rail and Road is the enforcing authority in Great Britain and can act to make a crossing safe.

The train can't stop.
You can.