[Greens-Media] Greens warned Government before today's Yarraville train crossing accident

[Elizabeth.Ingham at parliament.vic.gov.au]

MEDIA RELEASE   Friday 29 June 2007

GREENS WARNED GOVERNMENT BEFORE TODAY'S YARRAVILLE TRAIN CROSSING ACCIDENT

Greens MLC Colleen Hartland repeatedly warned the Government that the 
Yarraville train crossing was "an accident waiting to happen", including a 
detailed warning in Parliament last week after receiving a letter from the 
Transport Minister that "blamed the victim" for rail accidents.

In Parliament last week*, Colleen Hartland said "Yarraville station is an 
accident waiting to happen ? While I was on the local council the 
government refused to do anything about it, so we decided to conduct a 
community survey in 2005. We found that during peak times, in any one day 
up to 126 people illegally crossed the train line. The boom gates closed 
up to 15 times per hour, often for more than 3 minutes. The longest wait 
was 17 minutes. During that period 74 pedestrians and 3 cyclists crossed 
illegally and 43 people remained stranded for 17 minutes."

"Yesterday I attended a Brimbank council meeting to plan safer crossings 
in the St Albans area.  All the local MPs were invited, but none of the 
other MPs attended.  This morning I attended the memorial for the Kerang 
disaster.  This isn't good enough.  The Government needs an urgent 
statewide enquiry into the safety of rail crossings.  They should look at 
the coroner's recommendations of Furlong Road in St Albans.  Tonight could 
have been an absolute disaster in Yarraville, considering this is an inner 
city railway crossing on a busy line on a congested road.  We can't rely 
on luck any more."

"During the community survey of the Yarraville crossing, our notes record 
'Bedlam at the gates.  Truck tried to go around lowered boom gates' during 
a lengthy 17 minute period when the gates were closed.  There are several 
other notes of cars crossing when the boom gates were active." **

"Lynne Kosky wrote to me last week.**  The letter basically says that 
anyone crossing the tracks is 'acting illegally and responsibly' so it?s 
on their own head if they get hit by a train.  She thinks the best thing 
to do is fine them."

"The day I got that letter, I decided to detail the danger of the crossing 
in Parliament, because I don't want to stand up in Parliament after a 
tragic accident and say 'I told you so'.  I want a safe crossing at 
Yarraville to prevent a tragedy." 

"I send my heartfelt sympathies to all those affected by today's truck and 
train accident."

Ms Hartland's campaign to fix the rail crossing began in 2003.  She 
coordinated a community survey of the crossing, using volunteers, in 2005.

For further information:
Colleen Hartland: 9651 8788 

* Weds 20 June 2007 Legislative Council Hansard
** Scanned copy available.

*****************************************
Liz Ingham
Office of Colleen Hartland MLC
9651 8413 / 0400 043 881
[attachment "070629 MR Yarraville crossing accident.pdf" deleted by 
Elizabeth Ingham/Greens/PARL] 
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