Video: Dramatic footage shows cyclist in near miss with train at level crossing

British Transport Police have posted a dramatic video to YouTube showing a cyclist narrowly avoiding being run over by a train at a level crossing in West Yorkshire.

The incident happened last summer at the Ducketts level crossing in Pudsey on the Leeds to Bradford line, used by more than 120 trains a day travelling at up to 60mph.

As the cyclist approaches the crossing, a train arrives from the right. Assuming the coast is clear, a man holds the gate open and the cyclist pushes his bike through.

There’s another train coming from the left, and the cyclist pulls back just in time to avoid being hit.

BTP says the crossing is among the most high risk in the area, with one incident per month on average during the past year and a half.

Chief Inspector Lorna McEwan said: “This cyclist was one of the lucky ones.

“Sadly there are many people who have not been as fortunate, and I have had the heart breaking job of telling families that their loved ones has been killed at crossings or on the tracks.

“Despite our constant warnings about using crossings safely and the dangers of the railway, incredibly some people are still willing to put their lives on the line by ignoring crossing instructions, not looking properly or by trying to dash across crossings when trains are approaching,” she added.

Last year, Network Rail launched a safety campaign in partnership with Sustrans warning cyclists that they should dismount at level crossings, not listen to music while making their way across, and be aware that - as in this incident - a second train may also be approaching.

> Network Rail launches level crossing safety campaign aimed at cyclists