MEMBERS of the public have been urged not to use a pedestrian crossing over the railway line in Cardross due to safety concerns.

The crossing at the foot of the village’s Bainfield Road has been closed for repair work, with a wire reportedly holding the gates shut and two signs saying “Gates Closed”.

One Cardross resident has threatened to take bolt cutters to the gates to reopen them – because the crossing is a public right of way.

But Network Rail, which is responsible for the railway infrastructure, says the crossing has been shut because of a fault with the gates which makes it unsafe to use.

In 2017, analysis of “near miss” information found the Bainfield level crossing to be one of the most dangerous in Scotland.

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In spite of the closure instructions, there have been reports made to Network Rail that children were climbing over the gates to use the crossing, causing danger as trains continue to use the rail tracks on the other side of the gate.

Village resident John Robins has raised his concern over access to the crossing with Network Rail – and copied the Advertiser into his concerns.

In his letter to Network Rail, Mr Robins complained: “I informed your call handler that children were climbing over the gates to use the crossing – thus putting them at further risk by being distracted and concentrating on getting over the gates, rather than listening for trains, many of which are no longer sounding their horns at the whistle board at the east end of Cardross station.

“I was told that my complaint would be passed to your office in Glasgow.

“However I have heard nothing from you yet – and children are still climbing over the gate to exercise their legal right to use this access to the foreshore and Cardross railway station.

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“As you know, this crossing is a public right of way, and under the permissions granted to allow trains to use this route, there is a clause which states that you lose the right to run trains over this section of track if the public right of way is impeded.

“If I do not hear from you within 24 hours, I will consider either using my bolt cutters to remove the wire closure strips and reopen the public right of way, and/or taking a court injunction to use the still in force agreement made in 1855 to stop trains crossing this right of way.”

A Network Rail spokesperson told the Advertiser: “The crossing is currently closed due to a fault with the gates and we are putting plans in place to make repairs.

“We understand the inconvenience this is causing to some users and will reopen the crossing as soon as possible.

“It is also important - for their safety - that members of the public do not use the crossing at this time.”

In 2017 Network Rail announced it would be trialling a new mobile warning system at the Bainfield crossing after two instances of misuse in the previous three years – making it equal third in Scotland in terms of the number of incidents.