By DAVID COULTER

Last updated at 10:52, Friday, 19 February 2010

MORE than two years after teenager Christopher Walton was killed by a freight train near Haltwhistle, promised improvements to the unmanned level crossing where he died have still not been made.

And as Network Rail pleaded guilty to a health and safety offence at West Lodge crossing, Blenkinsopp Hall, before Tynedale Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, Christopher’s grieving parents called on the company to act immediately before another family is devastated by tragedy.

In their first interview since Christopher (17) was killed while delivering coal in the hours of darkness in January 2008, his parents Michelle and Alan, of Meadow Lane, Haltwhistle, expressed their anger that significant improvements had yet to be made to the crossing.

Mrs Walton said: “I think Network Rail either have to put lights up at the crossing, or close it all together. There are no ifs and buts about it.

“We would prefer it to be closed, as was recommended at Christopher’s inquest, because we definitely think that it is just another accident waiting to happen.

“Its closure will not bring back Chris, but it would prevent another family having to go through this ordeal.

“Clearly the crossing is unsafe and spending £400,000 on putting lights in is better than losing a life, in my eyes.

“Whatever happens, we want to highlight issues that can prevent other accidents in the future.”

At Christopher’s inquest, held in November 2008, the Office of Rail Regulation’s rail inspector John Tilley recommended that the crossing be closed, because it had been sub-standard for a number of years.

He told the coroner Tyne Valley line operators Network Rail had known the crossing was sub-standard, but had failed to act on the evidence.

The accident happened at night in complete darkness, and the unlit warning signs for pedestrians to stop, look and listen could not be read in the wet and dark conditions.

The Waltons said this week that since the accident, only minimal improvements had been made at the crossing.

Although signs informing all users of the crossing to telephone the signalman in Haltwhistle Railway Station to see if trains were coming had been erected, this was not enough.

Mrs Walton said: “Network Rail has carried out improvements to the minimum standard and the crossing remains unsafe.

“I think they have only done the minimum to put it up to the lowest standard required of them.”

Christopher’s brother Richard added: “This is somebody’s life, and they should be bending over backwards to do things right!”

The family paid a loving tribute to the ‘happy, energetic and lively lad’ they had lost so tragically.

They said he was greatly missed by all who knew him, and they thought about him every day.

Christopher was a promising Cumberland and Westmorland wrestler, and one of his greatest honours was winning the U18 championship at the world famous Grasmere Games, in the Lake District.

He was also a talented footballer who had signed up to Newcastle United’s soccer academy when he was 11.

Christopher’s father said: “I have no words to express how we feel, because we are so devastated.”

Mrs Walton added: “We go to bed thinking it hasn’t happened, but we wake up in the morning and just realise that it has, and we live with that every day.

“You can’t express how you feel deep down and, although people say that time is a good healer, I don’t think it is.

“You just learn to live with it and deal with it in your different way.

“He was loved by lots of people and had loads of friends. Over 700 people attended his funeral and that was a great tribute to him.”

The interview took place after Network Rail had pleaded guilty on Wednesday at Tynedale Magistrates’ Court to a charge of breaching general duty to someone other than an employee.

The charge was brought by the Office of Rail Regulation, which said that although a Network Rail risk assessment, carried out in 2005, had highlighted problems with the level crossing, the organisation had failed to carry out any of the recommendations to improve it.

The sub-standard crossing had therefore contributed to Christopher’s death, it was alleged.

While pleading guilty, Network Rail claimed that even if the recommendations had been followed, have Christopher's death may not have been prevented.

The case was committed to Newcastle Crown Court for further determination.

Network Rail said that it could not comment while the court case was still active, but wished to reiterate its condolences to the family of Christopher Walton.

First published at 09:47, Friday, 19 February 2010
Published by http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk