Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to replace railway level crossings with bridges.

Network Rail, in its role as national rail infrastructure manager, is responsible for ensuring the safe operation of approximately 5,670 public level crossings on the rail network in Great Britain and for taking decisions on where crossings need to be closed and replaced with bridges or underpasses. Since 2009, it has closed 1,170 of the highest risk crossings on the network and has invested over £200 million to improve safety at other crossings, including deploying automatic barriers, miniature stop lights, CCTV and obstacle detection systems. During the period 2019-24, Network Rail will continue to target high risk level crossings and make improvements wherever possible. In addition to planned closures of high risk level crossings on the network, Network Rail intends to invest in new technologies, improving training for level crossing managers, and promoting public awareness campaigns for pedestrians and motorists.