Skip to main content

Rail crossing safety questioned in France

The safety of rail crossings is being questioned in France. This follows a fatal collision involving a school bus and a train. Five of the children on the bus were killed in the crash, with another 18 people being injured, including 14 children. The bus had been carrying 20 children when it was involved in the collision with the train, at a crossing close to the Spanish border and around 18km west of Perpignan. The crossing is said to have been functioning correctly according to the French rail operator, SN
December 20, 2017 Read time: 1 min

The safety of rail crossings is being questioned in France. This follows a fatal collision involving a school bus and a train. Five of the children on the bus were killed in the crash, with another 18 people being injured, including 14 children. The bus had been carrying 20 children when it was involved in the collision with the train, at a crossing close to the Spanish border and around 18km west of Perpignan. The crossing is said to have been functioning correctly according to the French rail operator, SNCF. Following this collision there were 36 people killed in crashes at rail crossings in France during 2017, compared with 31 for 2016. However according to the Transport Ministry, human error is the cause of 98% of collisions at rail crossings.

Related Content

  • ERF sets out sign inspection guidelines
    December 27, 2024
    The European Union Road Federation suggests that its checklist - downloadable for free - is included in any existing tools for road safety inspection and audits that road agencies may have.
  • Improved UK road safety required
    July 19, 2012
    Recent increases in road fatalities should be a wake-up call for the UK Government to step up and provide stronger leadership on road safety, say members of parliament in a report examining the Government's Strategic Framework for Road Safety.
  • DUI is a problem for the US
    April 5, 2022
    DUI is a serious road safety problem for the US.
  • Scotland’s new Queensferry Crossing over the Forth Estuary
    December 23, 2015
    The new Queensferry Crossing under construction in Scotland will be the third landmark bridge spanning the Forth Estuary - Mike Woof writes When the new Queensferry Crossing over the Forth Estuary opens at the end of 2016, it will be the third landmark bridge to be built spanning this short stretch of water. Lying alongside the existing road bridge and the historic rail bridge, this new structure will be as groundbreaking as the two earlier crossings were at the time of their construction.