Rail firm probe into failures at crossing

The crossing was closed two days in a row last week, causing traffic problems in the Blackpool Road area.

Engineers from Network Rail were called to the crossing at 7pm on Tuesday when the barriers failed to rise because of a mechanical fault. The problem was fixed in around two hours.

The following morning, the barriers failed in the down position again.

A North West Ambulance Service spokeswoman said that ambulance routes changed accordingly to avoid the crossing when the barriers were down.

Depending on the direction the ambulance was travelling in, they would divert either down Norcross Lane, through Bispham, or through Poulton, adding ‘a few minutes’ to the journey.

She said there were ‘no significant delays.’

A Network Rail spokesman said: “The problem (on Wednesday) was some loose cabling – which was fixed within 20 minutes of engineers arriving.

“The fault on Tuesday night was of a mechanical nature. In both instances the barriers did what they are designed to do and ‘fail safe’ in the down position, to ensure the safety of road users and pedestrians from the passage of trains.”

The firm says it is currently looking into whether the problems were connected to each other.

The closures at the crossing were the fourth in two months.