Replica heritage boom gates will not be reinstalled at Ballarat’s Lydiard St crossing

In the latest hurdle the government has confirmed replica heritage boom gates are not an option for Ballarat’s Lydiard St level crossing. Read why.

Ballarat's Lydiard St crossing with mechanical half boom barriers.

Heritage-style boom gates will not be reinstalled at a level crossing beside Ballarat Railway Station.

The Department of Transport opened its Lydiard St Level Crossing plans to public consultation on Monday.

Temporary mechanical boom gates were installed at the crossing after a V/Line train crashed through replica heritage gates in 2020.

An options assessment report for a permanent solution provided V/Line with five options, three of which have been determined not to be viable as they “do not allow for the safe operation of trains, the retention of an open road and/or the preservation of historic value.”

Two remain for which the public may provide feedback until April 16.

The Lydiard St level crossing in 2021, nearly one year on from the train accident.

Those are to either retain the current mechanical gates and display the old replicas somewhere in the station as an historical exhibit, or retain the mechanical gates and have the old ones in a fixed position at the actual crossing, parallel to the train line.

The latter option of the two was said to be the “preference of heritage advisors and consultants”, but neither selection includes the reinstatement of the heritage gates for actual use.

“Together V/Line, rail experts, specialist heritage consultants and PTV have considered the feasibility of returning the level crossing to its earlier operational form with the heritage swing gates in active use,” the Engage Victoria website said.

“Following extensive review, and when considered against a range of factors, this option is not supported by PTV and V/Line or recommended as a long-term solution, due to its significant safety risks, impact on delivering a safe and efficient Ballarat transport network, and potential to increase traffic congestion on Lydiard Street.”

Cited specifically was the older technology sometimes requiring multiple tries to open or close the gates, with each several-minute-long attempt delaying traffic and trains.

Other unviable options included returning the replica gates and closing Lydiard St to traffic, or placing the non-working gates perpendicular to the train line after some modification.

Submissions about the two options will be analysed in April and given to Heritage Victoria in June.