Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance he has issued on improving safety for pedestrians at railway crossings.

Railway safety in Northern Ireland is a devolved matter and the responsibility of the Department for Regional Development.

The Office of Rail and Road, in its role as the independent railway safety regulator for Great Britain, has published guidance for those who design, install, operate and maintain level crossings to assist them in understanding risks and responsibilities. This is available from http://orr.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/2158/level_crossings_guidance.pdf.

The Office of Rail and Road, and the Heritage Railway Association, have also worked with Network Rail to develop a range of guidance documents based on the type of user – pedestrian, driver, cyclist or horse rider. These are available from www.networkrail.co.uk/level-crossings/using-level-crossings.