NETWORK Rail remained insistent last night that the barrier at the Sandy Lane level crossing between Yarnton and Kidlington was in perfect working order on January 2, when Thomas Pizzey died.

It may be absolutely right.

But last night it finally admitted, after days of to-ing and fro-ing, that the barrier had failed 21 times over the course of 2012.

This admission followed a series of statements that, while not wrong, could certainly be viewed as not being entirely forthcoming.

And even when it finally released this figure, it tried to spin it by claiming that set against the numbers of time the barrier is in use, this was proportionately a tiny amount.

Let’s be frank though: That barrier is there to save lives. Twenty-one failures is unacceptable.

What this has also revealed, perhaps more disturbingly, is an utter reluctance to be transparent and open. Its raises question about Network Rail’s culture.

Network Rail is neither a private company nor a public sector organisation. It may be directly accountable to its ‘members’ – drawn from tghe public plus the Department for Transport – but it still responsible to the community.

We cannot pre-judge the findings of the inquest into Mr Pizzey’s death.

But people living locally raised valid concerns and Network Rail failed to address those openly.