An upgrade to one of Victoria’s most dangerous level crossings has been completed
The Victorian Government has marked a milestone in its level crossing upgrade program with the completion of work on one of the most dangerous crossings in the State.
The upgrade to the Avenel crossing on Aerodrome Road, about 80 minutes north of Melbourne, was the 50th project carried out under the $47 million Fix Country Crossings Program.
The upgrade involved the installation of boom barriers and flashing lights. The crossing previously had only safety signage.
“We now have up to 50 level crossings completed. A further 10 will be completed this year, taking the total to 60. Next year works will be carried out to achieve the total of 75 over the four-year program,” Transport Minister Terry Mulder says.
Rail advocacy group TrackSafe has welcomed the news of the upgrade to the Aerodrome Road crossing. It says a 2013 survey of train drivers listed the crossing as one of the top 10 worst in Victoria.
“I am very pleased, and relieved, to hear that the Aerodrome Road crossing has been upgraded, as this is a level crossing that has had many near collisions and is one of most concern amongst train drivers,” TrackSafe Direcror and Australasian Railway Association (ARA) CEO Bryan Nye says.
TrackSafe last year asked train drivers to list the worst crossings in each state. Most level crossings made the list due to records of near collisions, heavy vehicle frequency and sighting distance.
“There are thousands of near collisions between vehicles and trains at level crossing every year and each one is just seconds’ way from becoming a potential disaster,” Nye says.
Mulder says the $47 million investment has delivered safer crossings from Bendigo to Swan Hill and Echuca, Seymour to Shepparton, Geelong to Warrnambool and Traralgon to Bairnsdale.