FOLLOWING the tragic deaths at Great Coates, motorists and pedestrians have been warned not to take any chances when using level crossings.
The incident on Tuesday night means the number of fatalities on the country's level crossings is now 46 over the last five years.
And it is not the first time level crossing safety at Great Coates has hit the headlines.
Back in August 1974, police warned parents to keep their children away after four seven-year-olds diced with death by playing on the crossing.
Five years later, in March 1979, a 10-year-old girl was killed on the crossing as she made her way to school.
Joanne Thompson was hit by a train as she crossed over with sisters Helen, 8, and 10-year-old Rachael Brackenbury.
Rachael was holding her hand at the time of the collision.
And in both August 1954 and November 1969 there were collisions at the spot, with lorries being hit by trains, although nobody was injured in either.
The crossing is also believed to have been used for a national level crossing safety TV advert, although Network Rail and British Transport Police have been unable to confirm this.
Investigations into what happened on Tuesday are continuing, but the incident has prompted warnings about using level crossings.
Councillor Nicola Maasdam, chair of Great Coates Parish Council, said: "This tragic incident just reiterates the need to use all level crossings safely.
"There are only half barriers at Great Coates and we always see people zigzagging through them and, although there is no suggestion that happened in this case, it serves to highlight that it is not worth taking chances.
"The crossing in the village is on a corner and people can't see along the tracks so it's really not worth taking chances.
"Our thoughts are with the families of those who died as well as the train driver and passengers who must have been affected by this tragic incident."
Network Rail is currently investing £130 million in improving level crossing safety and has closed 500 crossings in the last three years.
A spokeswoman said: "There are more than 6,500 level crossings in Britain.
"Every day they protect us from one of the busiest rail networks in the world.
"They are a result of how the railway was developed more than 150 years ago when there were far fewer trains, at slower speeds and fewer people and road traffic.
"If you were building the railway now, you wouldn't put in any level crossings."
Rail union general secretary Bob Crow said level crossings are "death traps" that must be phased out.
He added: "RMT awaits the outcome of the official investigations into last night's deaths, but it is clear these lethal incidents at level crossings have escalated in recent weeks and it is now urgent that we speed up the phasing out of these death traps on our railways.
"Mixing road and track is a 19th century solution in an era of high speed rail and cost should not be a factor when it comes to eliminating these obvious points of continuing danger."
