News feature: Cash crisis for level crossings

[ozbob]

From Courier Mail 12th June 2009 pages 24 - 25

Cash crisis for level crossings





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Cash crisis for level crossings
Article from: The Courier-Mail

Ursula Heger and Bruce McMahon

June 12, 2009 12:00am

THIS is southeast Queensland's most dangerous level crossing.

The two-way stretch close to a T-intersection on Telegraph Rd in Bald Hills, in Brisbane's north, is the site of more near misses and boom gate collisions than anywhere else in the southeast.

Data obtained by The Courier-Mail shows that in the past 16 months, 12 boom gates were hit and broken by motorists there.

In the past year, there have also been three near-misses with trains..

Locals living near the crossing say it is only a matter of time before there is a serious accident.

"It is blind, it is dangerous and I've seen many accidents on that crossing," said Max Neilsen, a truck driver of 21 years whose property is next to the crossing.

"What is it going to take ? someone to die there ? for the State Government to do something?"

Mr Neilsen said his wife Jodie avoided the crossing when taking their children to school.

Resident Michael Apap, also a truck driver, said there should be an overpass at the intersection.

"That would be better than what they have now," he said. "Drivers just don't care or they just can't drive but they don't give way."

The Bald Hills crossing is on a par with that on Boundary Rd at Coopers Plains, where there were three near misses last year. There were two near-misses at crossings on Cavendish Rd, Coorparoo, Nudgee Rd at Doomben, Old Beaudesert Rd at Salisbury and at level crossings in Lindum and Kuraby in the same period.

Crossings at Alderley, Carseldine and Geebung each had one incident.

Despite eight boom gates being broken at the Sherwood Rd crossing at Sherwood, there were no near misses. It was the same at the Queensport Rd crossing, Murrarie, and McKean St, Caboolture ? where seven boom gates were destroyed in the year.

Queensland Rail has previously estimated the cost of a single broken boom gate at about $5000. The top 10 worst crossings for boom gate accidents last year racked up a bill of more than $375,000.

In recent years several of the level crossings, including those at Bald Hills, Geebung and Lindum, have been earmarked by the Brisbane City Council for upgrades.

But funding for the projects, shared by state and local governments, has been secured only for projects at Beaudesert Rd in Acacia Ridge and Mawhinney St, Beerwah.

After a fatal accident in 2003 between a passenger train and council bus at Sunnybank, then-mayoral candidate Campbell Newman vowed to replace all level crossings over 10 to 20 years under a Liberal-led council. But progress since Lord Mayor Newman gained a majority in April last year, and allocated $308 million to the crossings, has been stymied by a lack of state funds.

Earlier this year state and federal funding of $65 million was allocated to upgrade eight "priority" crossings in north Queensland, including three which intersect the Bruce Highway at Brandon, Bowen and Cardwell. But no state money was allocated to level crossings in the southeast.

Priority upgrades identified at Robinson Rd, Geebung, Telegraph Rd, Bald Hills and Lindum, in Brisbane's east, are on hold.

BCC has completed a business case for the Geebung crossing, costed at $165 million. Last week the council agreed to interim road works at the Bald Hills crossing to improve traffic safety. BCC will also develop a business case for a grade separation there.

"Previously council paid just 15 per cent of costs but now we are offering to pay 50 per cent of the costs of these three important projects to get them going," infrastructure chairman Cr Graham Quirk said.

"We are honouring our commitments but the stakes are high, too high even for the Queensland Government at present."

But residents say the crossings are too dangerous to be left as they are and it's only a matter of time before there's another serious accident.

Police have been cracking down on drivers who try to run level crossings ahead of oncoming trains.

In March, 21 drivers were issued fines for entering level crossings in Ferny Grove while warning lights were operating.

Commuter advocacy group Rail Back on Track spokesman Robert Dow called for increased patrols and red light cameras at crossings to stop drivers from taking risks.

"We think it's an offence that warrants licence suspension," he said.

"You have people being killed and we need to make the penalty match the offence.

"The second thing that we think is essential is increased enforcement, and red light cameras at level crossings, particularly those that have a history."

[brad C]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, these busy railway crossings should be grade separated as a matter of urgency.
I'ts all well and good to suggest red light cameras and stop signs and other 'revenue' earners but the fact remains that the volume of rail traffic has increased significantly in recent years (as has the volume of vehicular traffic) with corresponding delays and frustrations rearing at these crossings.
What other business interest could hold up streams of urban traffic (sometimes as long as 10 minutes) in this day and age and shrug off its responsibility for delays.
Yes it's bad news when crossings are traversed after red lights flash. But in a modern urban environment can we still afford to have traffic flow interrupted by such antiquaited means of railway crossing.
Funding should be made available annually for a progressive grade separation of these crossings on a priority basis.

We did well in the 1960s and 70s when grade separation was achieved at Zillmere, Albion, Ennogerra, Northgate and Salisbury. Why has this momentum ceased?
Make this a priority program!!!

[ozbob]

Agree Brad, and we have said so in a number of statements.  The reality is the money will be long time coming so some steps to manage the issue now with a focus to ongoing road/rail grade separation is needed.   I expect that the Government will be moving in some new directions on this issue in the near future.

Regards
Bob

[Derwan]

For those unfamiliar with it, just have a look at the crossing near Geebung station.

Approaching from the north, you either have to wait on the railway line to turn right into Railway Pde - or wait before the boomgates (which is what I do).

You also have congestion heading back the other way due to the traffic lights at Robinson Rd East.

[O_128]

here is lindum station it is a complete disaster especially when express trains go through which are going at 100kph.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=lindum%20railway%20station&sourceid=navclient-ff&rlz=1B2GGFB_enAU283&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl