1 Jan 2009: Queensland: Passengers want action concerning railway crossing ...

[ozbob]

Media Release 1 January 2009

Queensland:  Passengers want action concerning railway crossing safety today.

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport users has called on the Queensland Government to implement emergency procedures at all railway crossings without active protection of both boom gates and lights today, the 1st January 2009.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

?On behalf our members I would like to express our sincere condolences to the family and friends of the truck driver killed this afternoon at Mundoo, and extend our best wishes for a speedy recovery for the locomotive, train crew and passengers who may have been injured, physically and psychologically.?

?On behalf of our members on the 30th November 2008 I wrote to the Minister of Transport in Queensland requesting that as an immediate interim measure all heavy vehicles be required to stop at railway level crossings, and then for the drivers to look and listen, and then proceed only if safe to do after checking both directions and all lines as the case may be (1).?

?We were concerned that a repeat of the Tilt train fatal crash was inevitable unless urgent measures were implemented.  We said at the time the situation was a time bomb.  Events at Mundoo this afternoon have confirmed our calls at the time were sadly prophetic.?

?Promises of thorough investigations are NOT going to manage the immediate requirement for safety today.?

?As an emergency interim measure we again call on the Queensland Government to require all heavy vehicles; buses and trucks, to stop  at all railway level crossings and then for drivers to look and listen for trains approaching from either direction and to cross only when it is clearly safe to do so.  This should be enacted today. This uniform requirement should remain in place until 'safe' crossings, those with active protection, fail safe signaling, and warning signs/lights 300-400 metres before the crossings as appropriate, can be individually identified.  These crossings should have permanent crossing road speed limits as a further layer of safety."


Reference:

1.  http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=83.msg7437#msg7437

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org