Driver gets cross with Network Rail over Onibury level crossing

It is a quaint railway crossing near a village in the heart of the south Shropshire countryside which doesn't look like it would cause much trouble.

But a dispute has broken out between a local resident and rail operator Network Rail which could see the level crossing on the A49 at Onibury, near Craven Arms, closed for up to six months.

Steve Byrne, who lives right next to the crossing, has launched a protest against work to put in a new signal post, which he says has restricted access to his driveway.

He parked a vintage lorry over the base for the post in an attempt to stop the work going ahead.

But Network Rail then moved the vehicle which Mr Byrne claims caused damage which he says would cost thousands of pounds to repair.

Network Rail today said it moved the vehicle with care and wanted to resolve the situation amicably but it warned that, if its work continues to be prevented, the crossing could be closed for six months.

Mr Byrne, who is in an ongoing legal dispute with the rail company, claims the organisation moved the truck illegally and he claims they might have damaged it to the tune of £15,000.

He said he was away at the time, but was alerted by neighbours that the truck was being moved.

He said: "We've had to come back pretty quickly. We had a phone call to say they were illegally moving it.

"They brought in a crane and have caused quite a lot of damage to the vehicle.

"I've rung the police and they've told me they are not going to do anything because it's a civil wrong."

Mavis Choong, a spokeswoman for Network Rail, said: "We had to slew Mr Byrne's lorry slightly on the weekend to enable the work to proceed and this was done with extra care and within legal rights.

"However, if Mr Byrne continues to deliberately prevent the work, the crossing may have to be shut for six months or longer, potentially causing severe disruptions to users.

"We remain keen to resolve this amicably and we welcome any opportunities to discuss the situation further with Mr Byrne."

She added: "We have made several alterations to our plans according to Mr Byrne's requests but we are unable to relocate the lights as it has to adhere to safety standards set by the Office of Rail Regulation.

"Network Rail claims 'prescriptive rights' - which basically means that we don't own the land but we can have access over it.

"In addition, the railway has had level crossing equipment situated on the land for many years. Mr Byrne will also be able to access this land if it is proven that he has the same rights."

By Hannah Costigan