Death sparks level crossing shutdown call

British Transport Police confirmed that one person had died after their car was caught on a level crossing near Athelney in Somerset, on the line between Taunton and Castle Cary.

A police spokesman said that the incident occurred shortly before 6.30am today after the car was hit by the 5.46 Exeter to London Paddington service.

He later confirmed that one person in the car had been pronounced dead at the scene and that an investigation was under way to establish the full circumstances leading up to the incident.

There were no reported injuries to passengers travelling on the train.

A Network Rail spokesman said: "The train driver and First Great Western staff have given a statement to British Transport Police that the barriers were lowered and the car was seen to drive on to the crossing."

Rail union RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: "This latest, shocking fatality will once again shine the spotlight on safety issues at level crossings.

"RMT has been campaigning for many years to speed up the phasing-out of level crossings which are a 19th-century solution in an age of high-speed railways.

"Wherever road and track come together there is a clear and present danger and as we see far too often it is a lethal combination and the time has come to get serious about addressing this issue - cost should not override public and staff safety."

Network Rail was found guilty of breaching safety laws last month after a train killed a car passenger at a level crossing without an automated safety device in Herefordshire.

A signalman was also found guilty for his part in the 2010 incident.

And the firm was fined £1 million last year over the deaths of two schoolgirls on a level crossing in 2010.