The TrackSAFE Foundation has today welcomed the launch of the National Railway Level Crossing Safety Strategy 2017 – 2020 to guide national coordination and best practice for level crossing safety across all jurisdictions.
The Strategy provides renewed key focus areas, actions and measures for level crossing safety Australia-wide and was endorsed by the Transport and Infrastructure Senior Officials’ Committee at their recent meeting.
“The TrackSAFE Foundation welcomes the renewed National Railway Level Crossing Safety Strategy 2017 – 2020 designed to significantly improve level crossing safety via greater collaboration and investment. With so many variances in level crossing safety relating to risk, the application of technology and control systems between roads and rail networks, as well as jurisdictional governance and ownership, it’s timely to release a revised strategy to provide a single source of coordination on the issue,” said Naomi Frauenfelder, Executive Director of the TrackSAFE Foundation.
“The Strategy lends itself to greater opportunities for knowledge-sharing, cooperation and engagement with key stakeholders which will in-turn lead to promising solutions and technologies being progressed on a national scale.
“Recognising the need for harnessing the potential of rapidly emerging technologies is a key part of the Strategy and is something the rail industry is very passionate about, as evidenced by the attendance of 13 senior rail executives on TrackSAFE’s International Level Crossing Safety Study Tour to the USA and UK last month. Understanding the innovations that are being trialled and utilised around the world is vital to advancing level crossing safety solutions domestically.
“With roughly 23,500 level crossings across our network level crossing collisions remain of serious concern for the rail industry. This Strategy is a welcome step for reducing the likelihood of serious incidents occurring at railway level crossings,” said Ms Frauenfelder.
The Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator welcomed the release of the Strategy with Chief Executive, Sue McCarrey, confident it will play a part in driving continuous improvement in the safety of level crossings.
“As a regulator we are very strong in our view that the risk to human life and the significant financial costs of collisions can be reduced with ongoing investment, co-operation, and collaboration around level crossing safety. A revised national strategy is a really important step in facilitating the decisions and discussions that we want to see,” said Ms McCarrey.
Click here to access a copy of the National Railway Level Crossing Safety Strategy 2017 – 2020.
