Worthing bus crash triggers investigation

3:00pm Friday 5th September 2008

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An investigation has begun after barriers at a level crossing were damaged by a bus.

The single-decker Stagecoach No 700 was at the crossing in Ferring Street, Ferring, near Worthing, at 9.24am yesterday.

The vehicle was on its way from Littlehampton to Brighton and was carrying passengers at the time, although no one was hurt.

A signalman alerted Network Rail and the road was closed for more than an hour while repairs were carried out.

Trains passing through the crossing were restricted to 5mph but services were otherwise unaffected.

Vehicles were forced to turn around and use other routes, causing traffic delays in the village.

Andrew Dyer, managing director for Stagecoach South, said a thorough investigation would be held.

He said: “A bus was passing through the crossing and the railway gates came down on the bus.

“We need to investigate jointly with Network Rail whether it was an error on the part of the bus driver or a malfunction in the signalling equipment.

“There were passengers on board but I don’t know how many. We are pleased it was a minor incident but it is clearly a serious matter and we will be carrying out an in-depth investigation with Network Rail.”

A spokeswoman for Network Rail said: “There is no indication there was anything wrong with the level crossing itself but something has gone wrong somewhere. Whether that is the fault of the equipment or the driver is not yet known.”

A shop worker in the area said: “We heard the sirens and went outside for a nosey. It’s a pretty busy village and there’s normally a lot of traffic. There were buses and lorries turning around while it was closed.”

Beryl Hovell, who works at a newsagents in the area, said: “It caused chaos with all the traffic going up and turning around.”

The barrier was repaired and the road reopened by 10.35am. Network Rail said trains were only delayed for a few minutes.