Britain's Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) urged changes to user-operated crossings after finding that unclear instructions and a green crossing light contributed to a delivery driver's fatal collision in Kent.
A passenger train struck a stationary van at Bax crossing near Teynham on July 13, 2025, killing its driver, RAIB said in a report published Nov. 9. The train was traveling at about 71 mph when it hit the van.
ITV reported that the driver, Brandon Hatcher, 23, was making Amazon deliveries. RAIB said he was self-employed and working through a logistics company.
Drivers at Bax had to open gates on both sides of the railway before taking a vehicle across. The crossing light was green when Hatcher arrived. He opened the entrance gate, but the exit gate remained closed when he entered the crossing, investigators found.
RAIB said users were instructed to check that the light was green before opening both gates, again before crossing and before closing them; the light did not replace the requirement to open both gates. RAIB said it almost certainly influenced Hatcher's belief that he could proceed. Investigators also found that the signs and lack of road markings did not make the required steps clear, while his training had not equipped him to use the crossing safely.
RAIB identified a wider problem with crossings of this type. Once miniature stop lights were installed, further upgrades became less likely, even though safe use still depended on drivers understanding the instructions.
Another delivery driver died at a user-operated crossing in Lancashire in August 2026. At Frognal Farm crossing in Kent, a delivery van driver was seriously injured in October 2017. Chief Inspector of Rail Accidents Andrew Hall said unfamiliarity with these crossings puts road users, train passengers and railway staff at risk.
RAIB made four recommendations. It asked Network Rail to review crossing design and how its staff guidance addresses "authorised users." It also called for updates to legal requirements and road-user guidance, and a review of safety advice for organizations whose workers drive as part of their jobs.
