Renewed calls for rail pedestrian crossing at Diamond Creek
Hundreds of children from two Diamond Creek schools have been darting across train tracks in what one principal says is a “disaster waiting to happen”. And it’s been happening for 15 years. So why hasn’t anything been done?
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Children at two Diamond Creek state schools are darting across train tracks to get to class as rail and government authorities remain at loggerheads about a solution.
It comes after the Level Crossing Removal Project’s latest proposal on Stage Two of the Hurstbridge line duplication failed to include a pedestrian crossing behind Diamond Creek East Primary, despite 15 years of campaigning from the school and Nillumbik Council.
About 3km of track between Greensborough and Montmorency stations would be duplicated, as well as 1.5km between Diamond Creek and Wattle Glen.
Level Crossing Removal Project failed to answer the Leader’s question if a crossing would be considered in future project proposals.
Instead, deputy program director Andrew Brenchley said they would “talk to the community” about the project in the coming months.
But in an email seen by the Leader, Department of Transport manager for major projects Cameron Evans promised works that would include “fully active pedestrian gates at grade crossing”.
Mr Evans said fencing would be installed “to minimise the hazard”, but an underpass solution was ruled out due to risk of flooding.
Diamond Creek East Primary principal Rob Rostolis said he installed a fence at the site where many children would cross about 15 years ago.
But students, as well as members of the wider community, would just unlace the barrier and cross the track, he said.
“The problem has really escalated in the last five years especially,” he said.
“You’ve got 500 kids at our school, 750 at Diamond Valley College and people who use the Community Bank sports stadium using this illegitimate crossing — it’s a disaster waiting to happen.”
Mr Rostolis said pedestrian gates, an underpass or an overpass would save children at least 15 minutes.
“Parents are driving their kids to school just so their kids don’t cross the track — so you’ve got a safety issue and an issue of increased traffic on the road,” he said.
Nillumbik Council received $1.2 million from the State Government, as well as $5726 of their own funds, to build the crossing in 2017.
But council chief executive Carl Cowie said investigations involving Transport for Victoria found a pedestrian underpass or overpass at the site would “significantly exceed” the budget.
“The investigations also revealed that local government is not best placed to lead rail-related infrastructure project, given specific rail expertise required and complexities in aligning multiple state bodies and rail operators,” he said.
“Therefore, we advised the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning in 2019 that council would not be pursing the project.”
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Yan Yean State Labor MP Danielle Green said the council canned the project without notifying the schools involved.
“Council cares so little about them, they returned $1.2 million to the State Government for a pedestrian rail crossing, without even telling Diamond Creek East Primary School or Diamond Valley College that they had canned the project in 2018,” she said.
Construction is set to start later this year.