Coroner to issue safety warning after boy's death at crossing

The Bourneview pedestrian level crossing near Kenley Station, where 11-year-old Jaiden Shehata died in January 2025, had been flagged for safety improvements almost two years before the incident. The crossing was closed in August of the previous year for safety upgrades and has remained shut to pedestrians since.

Inquest findings on safety

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A jury at the Coroner’s inquest determined Jaiden Shehata’s death was accidental. They identified three contributory causes, two of which were directly related to the absence of safety features at the Bourneview crossing. The jury's findings aligned with a Rail Accident Investigation Branch report, which stated the schoolboy was looking at his mobile phone when he crossed the tracks.

The jury announced that Jaiden did not perceive the danger of the approaching train, likely due to distraction from his phone. They also noted that Bourneview was a passive crossing without active visual and auditory warning systems for approaching trains. A further potential cause was that the crossing's design and construction might not have made its hazardous nature sufficiently obvious to pedestrians.

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Evidence presented at the inquest by Daniel Fisk, Network Rail's senior official for level crossings and public safety, indicated that a risk assessment in May 2023 identified the need for safety enhancements at Bourneview. Despite this, Fisk stated that the crossing had met the necessary standards to remain operational at the time of Jaiden's death. Network Rail's policy is to close level crossings where possible due to the inherent safety risks.

Senior Coroner Sarah Ormond-Walshe noted that the Bourneview crossing had experienced approximately one near miss per year and that a fatality had occurred at the same location in 2020. She informed Jaiden's family that she would be issuing a Report to Prevent Future Deaths based on the inquest's conclusions.

What happens next

The Senior Coroner's Report to Prevent Future Deaths will be issued to relevant parties, including Network Rail, to highlight the safety concerns identified during the inquest. The report will likely recommend specific actions to mitigate future risks at the Bourneview crossing and potentially other similar locations. The Bourneview crossing remains temporarily closed.