Nine people died on railway crossings in 2019, six of whom were killed because they crossed at the last moment when the barriers were coming down, railway infrastructure company ProRail said on Thursday.

The number of deaths has been going down steadily since the 1970s when between 40 and 70 people died a year on level crossings.

Risky behaviour, which carries fines of up to €240, is a problem for ProRail, director  Anne Zwiers said. ‘Every accident is one too many, especially if it happens because of careless behaviour. The impact on family, drivers and emergency service workers is very serious and train traffic is affected.’

ProRail said there are fewer accidents because it is working to limit the number of crossings and replacing them with bridges and underpasses. It has also increased security measures around some crossings and is actively informing nearby schools and companies to increase awareness of the dangers.

Most of the Netherlands remaining level railway crossings, some 2,100 in total, have barriers and signalling but 100 have no safety system in place.

ProRail wants to close these down as soon as possible. ‘But we can’t do it alone, we need the help of the local and provincial authorities, Zwiers said.