Forty dangerous rail crossings across regional Victoria have now been upgraded as part of the Victorian Government’s $50 million Safer Country Crossings program.
The program is now more than halfway complete, with another ten crossings slated for upgrades before the end of 2017.
The program is upgrading passive level crossings in regional Victoria into active level crossings with booms, bells and flashing lights to improve safety for motorists and passengers.
Minister for Public Transport, Jacinta Allan, said, “With 40 crossings complete and the remainder to be finished by the end of the year – we’re delivering vital safety upgrades for regional motorists, pedestrians and passengers ahead of schedule.
“We’re upgrading every regional rail line, removing dangerous level crossings, building better stations – to get Victorians home safer and sooner.”
So far $27 million worth of safety upgrades have been delivered to boost safety at 32 road crossings, in addition to eight upgraded pedestrian crossings.
The upgrades will provide better warning of trains approaching the level crossing, with motorists no longer having to rely on their own line of site to know whether it is safe to cross the railway line.
The upgrades have also improved safety for passengers and staff on board V/Line trains passing through the crossings, providing a further boost to safety for regional rail travel.
Upgrades to pedestrian crossings have provided automatic gates and emergency exits to keep pedestrians away from the track when a train is approaching.
The Victorian Government is also investing $10 million to upgrade a further 12 crossings along the Warrnambool line, with six upgrades already complete and the remainder expected to be delivered by the end of 2017.
