THOUSANDS of railway bridge barriers across the country are to be checked to prevent a repeat of the Selby disaster.

But serious questions remained last night over who would pay for repairs, with pressure growing on the Government to meet the huge cost involved.

Critics also attacked plans for a national risk-assessment programme to tackle the scandal surrounding bridge safety as not going far enough.

The Northern Echo was the first to identify the parlous state of scores of railway bridge approaches in the region.

But, in many cases, confusion over who should foot the bill for work has meant urgently needed repairs have yet to be carried out.

The new checks are the result of reports from the Health and Safety Commission and the Highways Agency ordered after the February 2001 crash in which ten people died.

New measures such as crash barriers, warning signs, improved lighting and extra markings on roads are said to be under consideration at roads close to rail lines.

Work on a new protocol to apportion who is responsible for improvements to roads close to railway lines - and crucially who is responsible for the costs - should also be completed by June this year.

But last night, Cedric Truckle, the uncle of Stephen Dunn, the freight driver killed in the Selby rail crash, said: "There are still instances of cars getting on to railway tracks and another disaster could happen tomorrow.

"We need action now - not more talk - and the Government should meet the cost of all the bridges which would be peanuts to them."

He added that plans for warning signs were a waste of time as they would not prevent drivers falling asleep and crashing into bridge barriers.

In the Selby disaster, the anniversary of which is on Thursday, a Land Rover which came off the M62 ended up on the East Coast main line, causing a two-train crash. Land Rover driver, Gary Hart, 37, was jailed for five years after being convicted of causing death by dangerous driving after falling asleep.

One of the survivors, John Dunwell, of Aiskew, near Bedale, North Yorkshire, said the "enormous question" remained of who would meet the cost of bridge repairs.

He said: "I think it will take a gesture from the Government to start the ball rolling."

The safety reports identified "no serious shortcomings" in the current standards for safety barriers on major roads. But they failed to look in any great detail at bridges crossed by minor roads.

A risk assessment model developed by both North Yorkshire and Durham County Councils was commended by the reports and is set to be used more widely.

North Yorkshire has already committed £100,000 towards vital repairs on four bridges which cross the East Coast main line.

The four - Dalton-on-Tees, Danby Wiske, Thirsk Station and Thorpefield, near Thirsk - should have new barriers by the end of next month.

There have been at least 13 instances of cars crashing through barriers on the East Coast line alone since Selby.

Mike Moore, head of environmental services at North Yorkshire County Council, called for some sharing of costs with the Government.

A spokeswoman for the Highways Agency, which is responsible for bridge barriers on motorways and trunk roads, said it believed sufficient Government funding was already in place to pay for identified repairs.