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2 Jan 2009: Government and rail regulators fail the Queensland Community

Started by ozbob, January 02, 2009, 05:20:37 AM

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ozbob

Media Release 2 January 2009

Queensland:  Government and rail regulators fail the Queensland Community

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 again called on the Queensland Government to implement emergency procedures at all railway crossings without active protection of both boom gates and lights immediately.  More investigations and lists of ?dangerous crossings? are important in the long term, but will NOT help to overcome the now obvious risks to all today.  Immediate safety controls, a massive education campaign and massive penalties for traffic breaches at crossings are needed from today.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

?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 identified.  These crossings should have permanent crossing road speed limits as a further layer of safety."

?Penalties for traffic breaches at level crossings must be made substantial.  A failure to stop as directed must be met with license suspension for a very significant period.  Rather than advertising that organisations are safety focused let us see advertising that has a real message.  Stop means stop.  Trains are crossing at your crossing always.?

?Government has a duty of care to rail employees, passengers and road users.  Let?s not delay any longer.?

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
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dwb

How practicably enforceable is this?

How should those penalties compare with others?

Should a driver be denied their livelihood for failing to stop at just one sign?

What effect will this have on truckers and trucking companies in terms of productivity?

What increase in safety will be achieved?


There are too many questions and I do not believe a kneejerk response will deliver the policy outcome you desire. Having said that it is obvious something needs to be done... just what is the question.


ozbob

There needs to be a massive education campaign. Many train drivers are reporting constant 'near misses' vehicles not stopping at flashing warning lights, driving around boom gates and not stopping at STOP signs at crossings. They are in fact racing the trains through the crossings. This is an offence and there must be the realisation that the time is now to simply obey the road rules.  The government is proceeding with cameras at some crossings. 

Many other jurisdictions have these requirements and it works.  It is not a knee jerk response, it is just enforcing what is already the requirement.
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ozbob

Some feedback received:

QuoteWhen I first joined QR, I was aware that the Rail and Transport Departments as they were then were under the control of the same Minister as the acts covering each had the same level under law.  This was particularly applicable for level crossings.

See this site for QR Media Release for level crossing safety Dec 2008
http://www.corporate.qr.com.au/Corporate/News_Room/Current/Press_releases/845.asp

In my understanding, there are or should be a combination of signage to provide advance warning for all level crossings.

See this site (although not an official copy of the Queensland Road rules, I think that these actually still apply)
http://www.transport.qld.gov.au/resources/file/eb43a40ac197612/Signs_part05_railway_level_crossing_signs.pdf

If these are used appropriately, no person approaching a level crossing should be in any doubt that they are approaching a crossing and have the responsibility to obey the rules pertaining to the type of signage or protection that is applicable.

We have blitzes on drink driving and speeding etc, maybe we need to similar action at level crossings.

I am sure that the penalties that apply to level crossings are similar to road intersections. So booms, lights, stop signs and give way signs relating to rails crossings are enforceable just as traffic lights, stop signs and give way signs.

In the latest incident (NOT ACCIDENT) the truck driver should have immediately been fined and had applied the same demerit points applied as he would have for not stopping at a red light.

Unfortunately he has paid the ultimate penalty (loss of life) and his family and friends will bear that loss for the rest of their lives.

There needs to be a concerted push to have ALL main line level crossings protected by flashing lights and boom gates although as a person with over 20 years of rail operations experience in Queensland, we often used to say that the only way of guaranteeing that there were no level crossing collisions was to protect all level crossings with 'a brick wall' as too many people are in the habit of thinking that I can beat the train on level crossings or beat the traffic light at intersections.  Over the Christmas period, I personally was in the situation twice where if I had just went through the intersection when the lights turned green, I would have been involved in a collision with vehicles driven by people that felt that these RED lights did not apply to them.

Bob, feel free to put this on the web site if you consider it suitable.
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ozbob

The media release from QR referred to above.

QR "exasperated" by level crossing near misses
5 December 2008


QR CEO Lance Hockridge today made an impassioned plea for motorists to exercise caution at level crossings after two near misses between vehicles and trains in Queensland in the last 24 hours.

His call comes only a week after two train drivers were tragically killed in a level crossing accident near Cardwell.

Mr Hockridge said although no one was hurt in either incident such irresponsible driving behaviour by motorists could have deadly consequences.

?We are exasperated that despite all the publicity surrounding level crossing incidents in the past week, people are still not getting the message ? it?s truly beyond belief,? he said.

?This reckless behaviour puts not only the motorists? lives at risk but also the lives of our passengers and our staff.

?It is selfish and highly dangerous behaviour and I appeal to the community to heed our safety warnings before more lives are lost.?

Mr Hockridge said at about 4.30pm yesterday a Pacific National freight train came within 30 metres of hitting a car at the 14th Street level crossing, Home Hill, which has flashing lights and warning signs. The flashing lights were working correctly at the time.

The second incident occurred at about 6.40am today when the Westlander passenger train and a semi trailer almost collided at the Currey Street Level Crossing in Roma, which has a stop sign and railway warning signs.

The train crew were left shaken by this latest incident in which they were forced to apply the emergency brake to prevent a collision.

Mr Hockridge said that this year alone five people have died in level crossing collisions on QR?s network, including the deaths of the two QR train drivers when the Tilt Train and a truck collided in North Queensland last week.

?QR takes every opportunity to reinforce the crucial safety message to prevent more tragedies occurring,? he said.

?We run extensive community education campaigns across the state to raise awareness of the need for care at level crossings, particularly where there are no boom gates.?

Mr Hockridge said people should take special care and obey all traffic signs and signals when approaching level crossings.

?Motorists and pedestrians need to be aware that the same rules apply at rail level crossings as normal road intersections and they need to obey the road rules for their own, and the rail operator?s, safety,? he said.

Of the level crossing collisions to occur on QR tracks in the past seven years:
? 98% of collisions were directly attributable to the road user
? 96% of collisions occur at public level crossings
? 50% of collisions on average occur at crossings with boom gates and/or flashing lights.
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ozbob

Another suggestion received:

QuoteVideo cameras in the cabs of locos would surely lead to vehicle drivers being prosecuted.

Rather than throw our hands in the air, there are pro-active things that can be done. We have been pushing for almost two years now, these are not knee jerk responses.

The Queensland Government has failed to respond to the recommendation arising out of the Dalby bus accident last year that all buses stop,  look, and listen at unprotected crossings.  It is our role as a lobby group to highlight these failings.

The road lobby is a powerful force.  I think though the community outcry is now such that even the Queensland Government will be forced to take  immediate action.
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ozbob

A statement just released by the Minister for Transport.  A response ...

Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
02/01/2009

QR allocates $10m for immediate start to work on priority level crossings

QR will target priority level crossings in North Queensland with $10 million approved today to start work immediately on implementing improvements identified by a joint QR Task Force involving train drivers and rail unions.

QR will also step up its community education and public awareness campaigns about the need for motorists to be vigilant when using level crossings.

Transport Minister John Mickel said the urgent funding allocation and expanded community education campaigns would put greater focus on the on-going issue of level crossing safety.

"This is not just a rail safety issue. It is also a road safety issue," Mr Mickel said.


"There is a greater collective effort required by road and rail authorities together with local councils, and importantly with road users, to reduce the risk of future accidents," he said.

"This morning I have been briefed by QR on yesterday's accident at Innisfail and what it is doing actively to step up current initiatives through the work of the Task Force

"Despite a 30 per cent reduction in level crossing accidents in the past decade, the recent spate of fatal collisions is a concern that needs a collective and concerted effort from the community and authorities."

QR established a specialist Task Force following the Cardwell accident in late November last year where two Townsville train drivers were killed. It includes safety and operational experts, as well as train crew and rail union representatives.

The head of the Task Force is in North Queensland today briefing train drivers and Task Force members on the QR initiatives. He also visited the Innisfail site of yesterday's accident.

While the initial focus of the Task Force is for locations between Mackay and Cairns, it will also now take into account issues from a statewide perspective.

Mr Mickel has also requested QR to expand the Task Force's considerations to take more directly into account the road safety dimension of level crossings and what practically might be done to improve existing safety measures.

==============================================================
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ozbob

QuoteHow practicably enforceable is this?

How should those penalties compare with others?

Should a driver be denied their livelihood for failing to stop at just one sign?

What effect will this have on truckers and trucking companies in terms of productivity?

What increase in safety will be achieved?


Thanks for your comments Dwb.

Quote
How should those penalties compare with others?

Flagrant violations of the traffic act at level crossings eg. zig zagging around boom gates as happened at Wacol yesterday and  a Citytrain narrowly avoided collision, licence cancellation is entirely appropriate.

Quote
Should a driver be denied their livelihood for failing to stop at just one sign?

If that stop sign is at a railway crossing, properly marked, certainly wear the consequences depending on traffic history.

Quote
What effect will this have on truckers and trucking companies in terms of productivity?

None, safety is essential.  If anything it might improve productivity due to cost savings in level crossing incident reductions.

QuoteWhat increase in safety will be achieved?

Reduce level crossing incidents by 98% according to the figures in the QR release above. The remainder are probably events like brake failures and signal failures. These will only be eliminated entirely by road/rail separation.
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Mick_L

Quote from: dwb on January 02, 2009, 12:09:09 PM

There are too many questions and I do not believe a kneejerk response will deliver the policy outcome you desire. Having said that it is obvious something needs to be done... just what is the question.


The kneejerk is in the typical and entirely predictable responses that are being wheeled out the by unions, opposition and media.  The call for flashing lights and boom gates at every level crossing in the state is an ambit one with no real hope of it ever happening. And with the unions joining this chorus, I don't believe they are properly representing the best interest of their members.

I think you have covered off the questions admirably, and legislation currently exists to address most issues. The issue of the compulsory stop at any level crossing for heavy vehicles might need some thought - for instance by controlling one risk, you could introduce others, especially in the form of other impatient motorists behind such level crossing being delayed by by the truck / bus.

I recall in Victoria as a kid, long distance buses would stop at each and every level crossing, regardless of the protection, so I think there is a history of it happening.

With this incident happening so close to the tilt train incident, there will certainly be calls for more grade separation, boom gates etc. This will need funding, and it should not be the rail industry coughing up for the upgrades. My radical suggestion is to blatantly revenue raise from the very source of the current grief at our level crossings - the belligerent road user. There should be a blitz by enforcement agencies at level crossings all over the state, pinging any motorist / road user that disobeys simple signals at level crossings. Failing to stop at a stop sign, at flashing lights, or any other breach of road rules should be penalised with a zero tolerance policy. At first, money will flow in at a disturbing rate, but after a period of time, road users will get the idea and there will be a greater degree of compliance, bringing with it the safety benefit that every one is screaming for. As the revenue dries up, so too will the original cause of the problem - road users disobeying traffic signals - and need for the level crossing upgrades diminishes - although not entirely disappearing.


ozbob

Thanks for your comments Mick. 

I remember going bus from Brisbane to Adelaide during one of those big airline strikes some time ago.  What I remember very distinctly was the bus stopping at every level crossing regardless of the nature of protection, and the driver clearly checking for an approaching train before proceeding.  I don't think that is a compulsory requirement now.

One of members has also just posted about the impacts of these incidents (see http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=1716.msg7999#msg7999). 

Regards
Bob
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Matt

Re, tracks stopping at rail crosing stop signs.
Has anyone thought about when a "B-double", starts from a stopsign, the time elapsed from starting to when the rear trailer clears the tracks, could result in a collision with a train, especially if there is reduced visibility, i.e., a curve, vegetation, an embankment on a slight curve, etc.
Just my 2 bobs worth.
Mal.

ozbob

Thanks for your comments Matt. There have been lot of comments made lately by the truckies about the fact that they cannot stop in time at the crossings if a train is coming.  This is because they may generally see the train at the last minute so to speak, as they come up to the crossing at speed.  In this case they sometimes choose then to race the train through the crossing.  If the vehicle is stopped at an unprotected crossing, visibility along the line is generally very good, eg. Mundoo crossing.  Remember a lot of crossings have stop signs so this is not that unusual (some have give way signs only).  B doubles that I have seen don't seem to struggle in terms of take off.  The fundamental issue is a failure to stop as directed.

This is one of the reasons why personally I have been a strong advocate for active advance warning systems.  Trucks then know that a train is approaching long before the truck comes up to the crossing.  The truck driver can slow and stop before the crossing.  It is good to see this one of the things that will implemented forthwith in Queensland.

Another recommendation has been to reduce road speed limits on approaches say from 100 to 80 or less. This too gives more time to slow and stop.

Another point is the many parts of the world DO have mandatory stopping of vehicles over a certain tonnage or class (eg. dangerous goods) and buses.  NZ has this for example, as do a number of states in America and in Europe.  There is also a recommendation pending in Queensland from the investigation into the Dalby school bus incident last year requiring buses to stop at all unprotected crossings.

No one thing is going to stop these incidents, except for road rail separation.  And even then I guess someone will find a way of driving off an overpass onto the tracks .... although a lot less likely than an normal crossing incident ....

Let's hope that things go a lot better from here wrt to crossing safety.

Regards
Bob
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