Northern Ireland written question – answered at on 19 December 2005.
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many unmanned crossings there are on the rail line between Ballymena and Ballykelly; and how regularly they are checked for safety purposes.
Translink has advised that the Belfast to Londonderry railway line has 27 unmanned public road crossings and 92 private crossings between Ballymena and Ballykelly. The private crossings are checked at least twice a week by track patrol staff with a full inspection carried out by infrastructure engineering staff twice each year and a risk assessment every five years.
Public road crossings are checked at least twice a week by track patrol staff to ensure that all equipment is intact and functioning, and are also subject to a monthly inspection and maintenance regime by signalling technicians. There is also an annual safety examination of all public road crossings by a combined group of inspectors from NI Railways, PSNI and DRD Roads Service.
In addition to the routine inspections carried out by Northern Ireland Railways, a 'Crossings Management Group' consisting of experts from within NI Railways and the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company meets bi-monthly and prioritises crossings for additional inspection and surveys based on a combination of risk and reports of misuse.
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