Motion to improve safety lighting on trains and passive level crossings by Shire of Yalgoo passed in Canberra

A Mid West woman who tragically lost her brother in a rail road crossing accident and is now an advocate for legislative change to improve safety lighting on trains is finally seeing some traction after a motion was put forward and passed. Extensive lobbying for increased safety lighting has been ongoing since 2001 by families who have lost loved ones on passive rail crossings. Put forward by the Shire of Yalgoo, a motion to improve lighting on trains and fund low-cost solar powered warning systems at passive level crossings was passed at the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) National General Assembly in Canberra last month. Lara Jensen said inadequate safety lighting on locomotives and rolling stock in the regions has exponentially increased the risk of collisions at unlit passive crossings that have claimed many lives or have been the location of serious, life-threatening injuries over decades. Ms Jensen’s brother Christian and two of his friends, Jess Broad and Hilary Smith, were killed on the Yarramony passive level crossing near Jennacubbine in the Wheatbelt in July 2000. “It is completely unacceptable that in 2022, the multi-billion-dollar rail industry continues to prioritise maximising profit over the safety of people who live, work and travel through the regions,” Ms Jensen, who lives near Mount Magnet, said. Murchison country zone representative Les Price, who had the opportunity to speak on the motion, said the goal was to raise awareness in metro areas and grow support. “I wanted to alert particularly people in the city who don’t travel into the regions to understand the seriousness of the situation,” he said. “It came across in the right way and I had a lot of support for it, it was important to get the message across and I will be following up with ALGA to make sure it is getting the hearing it deserves.” Mr Price said it was an important issue around Western Australia as far as train traffic was concerned, and it became more prominent in times of harvest when road trains were transporting stock. “If our trucks were to be on the roads without light recognition we would have a major problem, and it’s no different to trains,” he said. Western Roads Federation CEO Cam Dumesny said improving safety around uncontrolled railroad crossings was a fair and reasonable call, and commended Ms Jensen for her ongoing campaign for change. “We have mile-long freight trains that largely only have one light on the front and one light on the rear, and no light on the side. Yet they cross our road network,” he said. There are still around 500 uncontrolled rail road crossings in WA and 2400 nationally.