Motorcyclist dies at Egham level crossing that came under fire for delays

The vehicle crashed into barriers at Pooley Green level crossing, Network Rail says

A motorcyclist has died in a crash at one of four level crossings which came under fire from residents for delays in barriers reopening.

The crash happened at the Pooley Green crossing in Egham, Surrey, at about 20:00 on Tuesday.

Delays in barriers re-opening were making people late for work and GP appointments, a councillor has said.

South Western Railway says trains between Staines and Egham were running at reduced speeds, causing delays.

Alex Balkan, a member of Runnymede Borough Council said residents were having to wait up to 20 minutes for level crossings to open so they can reach parts of the town.

He has called for work to be carried out on the signalling systems to make them more efficient.

Residents said timing at the barriers was a problem.

Aniefonama Jacob, told BBC Radio Surrey: "It's really frustrating as well because I work and teach down the road and we have to find a diversion to there.

"I just feel sometimes the light takes a very long time to turn off and we have a build-up of traffic."

Network Rail has admitted recent "upgrades" to signalling systems had led to more delays.

A Network Rail spokesman said: "We recognise the level of concern locally, so we're working hard to understand whether there's anything more we can do to strike a balance between maintaining a safe and reliable railway service for passengers, while also keeping people moving on the local road network."

South Western Railway said it expected disruption to services to continue until 12:00 BST.

Network Rail said engineers had been working through the night but the road remained closed.

The company added: "The road is currently shut to motorists and pedestrians, and our signallers are having to talk to each train driver to caution them over the crossing."

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