’No room for mistakes’ at notorious Hampton rail crossing

Neighbours of a notorious Hampton rail crossing have revealed the danger is increased when trains pass each other, resulting in near misses. But people can still walk across without a gate closing or warning sirens.

There are currently no gates or lights at the pedestrian rail crossing at Grenville Street, Hampton and residents have been calling for action for years. Picture: Josie Hayden

A terrifying near miss at a notorious Hampton rail crossing has left residents rattled — again.

Jeff Roberts said he had been walking with his wife about 10.10am on Tuesday when a train “screeched to a halt” at the deadly Grenville St crossing, narrowly missing a woman walking her dog.

Mr Roberts said the woman had walked across after an outbound train passed, unaware a train was coming the other way.

He said several carriages of the city-bound train were stopped over the pedestrian path following the incident.

“There are probably more of these (near misses that I don’t know about) but when it happens in your face, it’s frightening,” Mr Roberts said.

“Fortunately she had made it across but it was a close enough call for (the train driver) to have to hit the brakes.”

“She was quite affected by it, she said ‘it’s my fault’, and it is but it’s also the fault of the system there.”

Promised safety works at the notorious crossing were cancelled by the government authority last year, just months before Gloria Holmes was fatally hit by a train on April 15.

Mr Roberts, a neighbour of the 83-year-old grandmother, said something urgently needed to be done to boost safety.

“The fact that the train was stopped across the crossing — and having been neighbours of Gloria’s — our hearts were just pumping when we saw it and we thought ‘oh Christ, not again’.”

Gloria Holmes, 83, was hit and killed at the Grenville St crossing in April.

More than 300 people have so far thrown their support behind Leader’s Make It Safe campaign by signing a petition calling on the State Government to six the perilous crossing.

Mr Roberts echoed calls for safety works at the site, including electronic gates to stop people crossing when trains are approaching.

“The curvature of the line masks the oncoming train,” he said.

“I’ve experienced that myself — I haven’t ventured out but I’ve been just about to start walking over and just seen the other train coming around the bend as the tail end of the city-bound train disappears from view.

“(The crossing is) going to have to have an electrified gate, that’s the only solution. That’s what it has needed for a long, long time.”

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Mr Roberts said the crossing was used by more people than the crossing at nearby Holyrood St, which had gates.

“(Grenville St) is a fairly heavily trafficked crossing because we’re all going up to the shops at Hampton St,” Mr Roberts said.

“And there are a lot of people around here who walk dogs — the dog only has to make a movement one way and take your attention away from the task of getting across the line and … that millisecond could be the difference between getting hit and not.”

Hayley Bester, a spokeswoman for Ms Allan, previously said PTV had been asked to “provide short and long-term options” for the crossing.

“The Government will advise the local community once that advice has been received,” she said.

But PTV did not answer questions about residents’ concerns with safety or whether it was even considering installing gates and sirens at the crossing.

Leader understands Tuesday’s near miss was not reported.

Metro Trains has been contacted for comment.

DOUBLE-CROSSING KILLER FEAR

Hampton resident Karen Farrell writes about her near-miss when two trains passed Grenville St at once:

One of my first experiences crossing the train line at Hampton’s Grenville St involved chatting to a friend while waiting for a train to pass.

Once it passed, I absent-mindedly started to cross, only to be stopped by the sound of another train’s horn blaring and my friend pulling me back.

I was unaware that trains regularly pass each other at this point and I still remember the horrified look on the train driver’s face, as I almost walked into his path.

I now live locally and use the rail crossing at least four times most days.

Karen Farrell and daughter Matilda, 7, at the Greville St rail crossing in Hampton. Picture: Penny Stephens

It is the route to and from my seven-year-old daughter’s school, how our family walks to the Hampton St shops, get home from the train station and visit friends.

I know from living close to the crossing that it is very busy day and night — many walkers, runners and cyclists going to the beach and moving around the suburb use it.

It is important that this crossing remains as a thoroughfare for walkability and amenity, but it needs to be safe.

Because of the absence of gates, I worry every day for the safety of children using the crossing.

Despite telling kids to stop, look and listen prior to crossing, it is well known they are easily distracted, forgetful and don’t always make the best choices.

All people can be distracted: there is no room for mistakes at the Grenville St crossing.

Having gates in place would stop these concerns from becoming a reality. The bend in the line on the city side of the crossing means you don’t have much time to see trains coming.

Neither the neighbouring Holyrood or Hampton St crossings, which both have gates, are as close to a bend.

The Government has previously committed to improving safety at the crossing, yet hasn’t done the work.

How can removing graffiti be more important?

How many more lives will be lost before gates are installed?

Get involved in our campaign by:

Signing the petition here.

Liking the Facebook page here.