Schoolkids at risk at Yarraville train station level crossing
The state government will start a safety campaign after revealing the top level crossings putting school kids at risk of being hit by a train.
North West
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A child a week is almost struck by a train at Yarraville station, startling figures show.
A Leader analysis of safety stats, showed 28 near misses between schoolchildren and trains at the Anderson St crossing at the station since July — the second highest for any metro crossing.
Only Pascoe Vale station is worse, with 32 near misses.
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It has prompted calls for an underpass, filled in 1997, to be reopened before a child is hit and killed.
Yarraville mum Kristine Daw said she was concerned for her son’s safety, who started Prep this year.
“We will be walking every day. I have lived in the village for nearly 20 years and this crossing is not safe,” she said.
“We used to have an underpass before it was filled in. For pedestrians and kids there needs to be a safe option.”
A 29-year-old cyclist died after being struck by a train at the level-crossing in 2007.
Minister for Public Transport Melissa Horne said the underpass was closed in 1997 because of safety concerns from the community.
“It was dirty, dangerous and unsuitable for prams and wheelchairs,” she said.
It was accessed via stairs and did not meet accessibility requirements for people with a disability, people with prams or cyclists and was prone to flooding, she said
It is understood reopening the underpass would require a complete redesign.
But station user Viviana Cicconi said reopening the underpass was the solution to prevent accidents.
“Even for responsible adults, waiting for a long time while your trains go past is difficult. The thought of being late makes people take risks that they would not take if the underpass was there,” she said.
The 28 incidents at the Yarraville level crossing include near misses that did not result in injury and trespassing reported by train drivers or station staff.
The figures were revealed as public transport minister Melissa Horne announced the State Government’s new “Joint Education Taskforce”.
The taskforce would bring together the Metro’s community education unit and the Victoria Police transit proactive unit.
Police officers, PSOs and Metro staff will visits schools, level crossings and railway stations in the next 11 weeks to discuss rail safety issues with students to try and reduce the number of close calls.
There are more than 200 pedestrian incidents reported at level crossings every year.
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