Yesterday saw Scotland launch a massive nationwide crackdown which hopes to address the ongoing issue of fatalities and injuries on the country’s level crossing network.

The new scheme comes just months after a horrific crash claimed the lives of an elderly couple last September. In that incident, Margaret and Angus MacKay, both aged 81, were killed along with Mr MacKay’s 66-year-old brother at an unmanned crossing which has no barriers but a small set of warning lights.

A further incident occured just this month near Halkirk in Caithness where a train was slammed into by a van as it crossed the rail line between Thurso and Georgemas.

The British Transport Police, which heads the scheme, has promised stronger clampdowns on drivers and the launch was very visible at level crossing points across the country where the BTP stopped all drivers in a bid to provide advice and rules on how best to navigate the crossings.

BTP claim that the new push is all about being proactive rather than waiting for another disaster to occur. They have said that the new purge has been generally well received and acknowledge that it is generally only a minor number of drivers that beak the rules – albeit with potentially disastrous consequences.

There are 128 unmanned crossings across the UK in which the gates are left open. Scotland is home to 23 such crossings. The stated long-term goal of the BTP is to eliminate unmanned crossings altogether.