Border Rail Action Group calls for community voices at Wodonga transport meeting

Victorian Transport Minister Jacinta Allan has arranged a series of workshops across the state, with Wednesday’s 6pm meeting at Wodonga TAFESPACE one of several along the North East rail corridor.

The Border group has been vocal in its efforts to highlight failures in the improvement works on the Melbourne to Albury track.

The Wodonga meeting comes during Rail Safety Week, in which the Australian Rail Track Corporation – which oversaw the improvement works – urged the public to take more care around level crossings.

Figures show five “near-hits” occurred on the North East rail corridor in the past 18 months.

A car and a train collided near Benalla last week.

“Each of these incidents is entirely preventable, and more often than not it comes down to poor decision making or driver behaviour, which is just not an excuse,” ARTC general manager – interstate Peter Winder said.

“We shouldn’t look at these incidents as close-calls and then brush them aside as lucky escapes, we need to put a human face on it.

“And that’s not only of the children, friends and family of those devastated by a loved one being lost or severely injured in an avoidable incident with a train, but the subsequent impact it has on train crew, first responders, and other scene attendants.”

Border Rail Group spokesman Bill Traill said the public needed to heed warnings around rail crossings.

“The message is simple, watch your step,” Mr Traill said.

“There used to be a lot of good safety warnings and messages in the past, people need to concentrate.”

Australian Rail Track Corporation figures over the past five years showed that 82 per cent of collisions and 76 per cent of reported near hits occurred at rural level crossings.

Rail Safety Week runs between August 10 and 16.