London crossing closed after dangerous behaviour filmed
Network Rail has extended the closure of Brickfields level crossing near Upminster while safety measures are considered.
A railway crossing in east London has been closed after children and teenagers were filmed engaging in dangerous behaviour near passing trains. Network Rail said the closure would continue while it works with British Transport Police and local schools on safety measures.
Brickfields level crossing, near Upminster in the London Borough of Havering, was initially closed on 30 September for 21 days. Network Rail said on Monday that the closure would be extended after a recent survey recorded repeated misuse involving children and teenagers.
The behaviour included performing handstands, using mobile phones, racing to cross before trains arrived and walking on anti-trespass boards. Network Rail also said some young people had deliberately played chicken with approaching trains. No individual has been identified by the railway operator.
Around 230 trains use the line through Brickfields each day. Network Rail said the activity posed a serious risk to those involved, railway staff and passengers, and that the crossing could not simply be reopened while the problem remained unresolved.
The operator is working with British Transport Police and local partners. School visits are being planned to show pupils the dangers of misusing level crossings and trespassing on railway land. The closure will remain in place while those interventions and further safety assessments take place.
Pedestrians are being directed along a diversion using Nightingale Avenue, Moore Lane, Front Lane and St Marys Lane. That route may add time for local residents, but Network Rail said public safety had to take priority. Its Anglia route health and safety manager said it was a difficult decision, but one made because the risks could not be ignored.
The case illustrates the practical tension around level crossings: a temporary closure can protect people immediately but also removes a convenient local route. Network Rail’s wider safety guidance says trespassing is dangerous and illegal, and warns that crossing users should never leave the designated route. The company has not announced whether Brickfields will later receive permanent engineering changes or face a longer-term closure.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Network Rail extended a temporary closure after recording dangerous behaviour at Brickfields level crossing.
- The crossing is used by local pedestrians and lies on a railway line carrying approximately 230 trains a day.
- Network Rail and British Transport Police plan education and safety work with local schools.
Left
Arguments The immediate response should combine safety education, better infrastructure and engagement with families rather than treating young people primarily as offenders.
Values Collective safety, prevention, equal access and investment in public infrastructure.
Consequences A longer-term engineering solution could reduce risk, but it would require public money and may still impose disruption on local residents.
Centre
Arguments A temporary, evidence-led closure is proportionate while Network Rail assesses the crossing and delivers targeted education, with enforcement reserved for deliberate or repeated trespass.
Values Proportionality, institutional responsibility and balancing safety with everyday access.
Consequences The approach may protect people quickly while preserving the option of reopening the route if the interventions work.
Right
Arguments The railway is a high-risk environment and knowingly ignoring warnings should bring firm enforcement, with parents expected to reinforce basic responsibility.
Values Personal responsibility, public order and deterrence.
Consequences A longer closure or permanent redesign could inconvenience residents, but supporters would regard that cost as preferable to accepting preventable danger.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Priya Shah — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The article is based on a dated Network Rail announcement and an independent report published on the same day. The confirmed facts are clearly separated from the unresolved question of any permanent engineering response.
- confirmed Brickfields level crossing near Upminster was temporarily closed after dangerous behaviour was recorded. — Confirmed in Network Rail’s 12 October announcement and reported by The Independent. source
- confirmed The initial closure began on 30 September and lasted 21 days. — Stated in the Network Rail release. source
- confirmed The recorded behaviour included handstands, mobile-phone use, racing trains and playing chicken. — Listed by Network Rail and corroborated by The Independent. source
- confirmed Approximately 230 trains use the line each day. — Figure supplied by Network Rail and repeated in The Independent report. source
- confirmed Network Rail is working with British Transport Police and local schools. — Confirmed in the Network Rail announcement. source
Editor's note
The closure, location, recorded behaviour, train frequency, diversion and planned school engagement are confirmed by Network Rail and independently reported by The Independent. Network Rail has not said whether anyone will face enforcement action or what permanent solution, if any, will follow.Sources
More on this in other media
- The Guardian — „level crossings”
- BBC News — „level crossings”
- Sky News — „level crossings”