Tyne and Wear Metro bosses rule out barriers at level crossings

The level crossing has warning tones and flashing red lights to warn motorists of trains

Metro bosses say installing barriers at level crossings is not practical despite two crashes between cars and trains within two months.

Nexus, which operates the service, said it was not thinking of making any changes after the line was closed for more than two hours on Thursday after the collision at Callerton Parkway.

There have been calls to upgrade it.

But Metro infrastructure director Stuart Clarke said the crossings "met the required safety standards".

He said crossings, which had all been refurbished in the "past few years", now had "clear red traffic lights" warning drivers to stop when a train was approaching.

'Closed roads'

No-one was injured in the collisions on Thursday and in April.

Mr Clarke said: "The installation of barriers at Metro level crossings is not something that's practical in the urban areas we serve - it would mean crossings being 'closed' to traffic for around 12 minutes more every hour on busy roads.

"As the crossings are adjacent to stations Metro trains travel slowly across them so the risk of serious injury is reduced for motorists who do drive through a red light."

A still taken from a traffic feed of the location shows emergency services at the scene

Two Newcastle city councillors told the Local Democracy Reporting Service they wanted to see the Callerton Parkway level crossing upgraded with more safety measures.

Liberal Democrat Thom Campion said he feared "a matter of when, not if, there will be a more severe incident" at the site between Newcastle Airport and Woolsington.

He added: "It's time action is taken and that proper safety barriers are installed at the Callerton crossing."

Before the most recent two collisions there have been other crashes between cars and trains - including in 1999, 2020, 2013 and 2007.

Adam Walker, a newly-elected Labour councillor in the Callerton and Throckley ward, called for a "thorough investigation" after the latest collision.

Nexus said it understood the councillors' concerns and hoped to have a meeting with them soon.

The driver involved in Thursday's crash has been interviewed under caution by police.