Article: Fix our crossings ? eight boomgates on the way

[ozbob]

From the Townsville Bulletin click here!

Fix our crossings ? eight boomgates on the way

Fix our crossings ? eight boomgates on the way

JANINE LUCAS

March 4th, 2009

BOOM gates will be installed at five notorious level crossings in a $10 million upgrade.

Queensland Rail  has released the second report from its Level Crossings Taskforce outlining safety measures to be taken at eight level crossings identified for priority work in January.

Two Bruce Highway level crossings ? one at Brandon and the other near Big Red at Bowen ? will be included in a state-wide trial of closed circuit television cameras to monitor safety and driver behaviour.

Both crossings already have boom gates.

Boom gates will be added to three level crossings near Cardwell, including the site of the crash that killed Townsville train drivers Richard Wetherell, 54, and Michael Smithers, 53, when a tilt-train collided with a semi-trailer.

Boom gates will also be installed at crossings at Garradunga Rd, north of Innisfail, and Wainai Rd near Mackay.

A crossing at Aerodrome Rd near Mundoo, the site of the crash which killed Innisfail garbage truck driver Terry Brown, 40, will not receive boom gates but will receive other safety measures.

The safety measures to be added to the eight level crossings include repainted road markings, active variable speed signs, signs which highlight the crossing's left and right extremities and flashing strobe lights.

QR North Queensland representative Tony Lucas said the safety measures were determined by local working groups with input from rail, road and police authorities as well as unions and local councils.

"The local working groups assessed each site individually and considered the most appropriate safety measures such as boom gates and flashing lights and improved lighting, warning signs and road markings," he said.

"We have already started initial work at the eight sites by improving signage, road markings and visibility.

"The recent extreme wet weather in the region has delayed work, but we are committed to rolling out the additional protection immediately so that we can improve safely as quickly as possible.

"We are confident that most work will be completed by early 2010."

Rail, Tram and Bus Union Townsville district organiser Les Moffitt said the measures were a step in the right direction but it was disappointing no funding had been allocated in the next Budget to install an overpass at the site of the tilt-train crash.

"Most definitely boom gates reduce the level of risk, but of course it's in the real high-risk areas that the answer is overpasses," he said.

"Certainly one would hope (safety cameras) would be a deterrent for people who break the rules and regulations around the level crossings."

Mr Lucas said additional protection was just one way to reduce accidents at level crossings.

The State Government has also launched a $1 million campaign to education drivers about safety at level crossings.

Mr Moffitt said the education campaign should be made permanent.

He said a similar campaign in Canada had resulted in a 66 per cent reduction of level crossing incidents over 25 years.

"It doesn't matter how many safety measures we put in place unless we educate people about safety at these level crossings things are never going to change," he said.

[O_128]

An article in the wynnum herald today about the lindum rail crossing. there have been 27 accidents from 2001 to 2007 and neither campell or anna will fix it.