SAFETY improvements are set to be made at a busy railway crossing in South Tynedale which is used by hundreds of walkers every year.

For more than two years, Greenhead Parish Council has been pushing for improvements to the level crossing at Thirlwell View, which is used by people walking Hadrian’s Wall Path and the Pennine Way.

Councillors believe visibility is currently poor for pedestrians due to a bend on the track to the west of the crossing. They want flashing lights or a siren to alert people when a train is coming.

Now Network Rail, which operates the UK’s railway infrastructure, has revealed plans to install a new alarm system and lights.

A Network Rail spokesperson said: “We are committed to reducing risk at level crossings and we are looking into what could be done to improve safety at Thirlwell View.

“The options being reviewed include equipping the crossing with an audible alarm, and looking at installing lights as a long-term solution.

“We are also proposing to move the current gates in order to provide a safe area for users to stand in, whilst deciding if it is safe to cross.”

The spokesman said the Thirlwell View crossing is currently equipped with ‘whistle boards,’ where train drivers are obliged to sound a horn to make people aware they are approaching.

Greenhead Parish Council chairman, Coun. Eddie Rimmer, said: “These proposals are exactly what we’ve been asking for, and hopefully we will see this scheme progressed with some urgency.”

In recent years there has been an increased focus on railway safety. Tragedy struck in January 2008 when Haltwhistle teenager Christopher Walton was killed by a freight train on a level crossing at West Lodge, near Blenkinsopp Hall. In October 2012, Christopher’s family won their battle to have the West Lodge crossing closed.

Many other level crossings across the UK have been closed, and replaced with footbridges, such as the one installed over the railway line at Haydon Bridge last year.