Network Rail has issued a full and unreserved apology for past failures to manage public safety at level crossings and for its behaviour towards bereaved families.

Chief executive Mark Carne spoke on Friday as the Transport Select Committee published a damning report into level crossing safety. The Committee had called for Network Rail to issue an apology and to aim for there to be no fatalities at level crossings by the year 2020.

Mr Carne said: “I wish to extend a full and unreserved apology on behalf of Network Rail to all those whose lives have been touched by a failing, however large or small, made by this company in managing public safety at level crossings and in failing to deal sensitively with the families affected.”

He added: “The way Network Rail now manages level crossings has fundamentally improved. Investment totalling £130M over the last five years has helped us to close almost 800 crossings and reduce the level of risk across the network by more than a quarter.”

Since 2010, the company says that 38 footbridges have been built to replace crossings. Funding of more than £100M will be devoted to reducing risks at level crossings over the next five years.

Transport Select Committee chair Louise Ellman said that level crossings still account for one half of all fatalities on the railway in recent years. Nine people died at level crossings in 2012/13 alone.

Victims, she added, had been erroneously described as ‘trespassers’ or accused of ‘misuse’ of the railway when in fact they had tried to use level crossings appropriately.

“Every one of those deaths was a personal tragedy which could have been averted,” Ms Ellman said. “Yet looking back it is clear that on too many occasions Network Rail showed a callous disregard for the feelings of the families of people killed or seriously injured in accidents at level crossings.”

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