Safety meaures beefed up at dangerous Cairns rail crossings

Near misses at rail crossings have doubled this year across the Far North as drastic safety measures are imposed to prevent tragedy from striking.

NEAR misses at rail crossings have doubled this year across the Far North as $500,000 worth of measures are introduced to improve their safety.

Queensland Rail will install CCTV cameras at eight crossings, with the first two at the notorious Aumuller Street and Thompson Road junctions in Cairns.

The crossings have been the scene of a number of close calls.

A car crashing it into a cane train in Brinsmead earlier this year. Picture: QPS

Queensland Rail’s regional boss Jim Benstead revealed near-miss incidents across Cairns and the Atherton Tablelands increased from 10 to 20 in 2020-2021, the second worst in the state.

“Near miss and collision incidents can have a lasting physical and emotional impact on all involved, including the road users and train drivers, but also loved ones, witnesses and first responders,” he said.

“Trains on the regional network can travel at speeds of up to 160km/h and can’t stop quickly or swerve.

“It can take only a matter of seconds for a near miss to turn into a tragedy.

The Cairns site will have the new cameras upgraded in the next six months.

A 24-year-old woman was charged after this incident at Brinsmead. Picture: QPS

Improving community education and finding a stronger synergy with police on enforcement will also be rolled out in an effort to halt rising safety concerns, which increased by 10 per cent across Queensland in the past 12 months.

It comes as two cars recently ploughed into sugar cane trains in Cairns.

A man was lucky to escape serious injury after an incident at Silkwood last week, while a 24-year-old woman was charged last month after allegedly stealing a car and crashing it into a train in Brinsmead.

Originally published as Safety meaures beefed up at dangerous Cairns rail crossings