Yarraville level crossing one of the worst for boom gate waiting times in peak hour

A SAFETY upgrade of this level crossing in Melbourne’s west has been overlooked, despite a secret VicRoads report recommending its removal.

The crossing at Yarraville in 2009 after a car trailer ripped off part of the boom gate.

A SAFETY upgrade of the Yarraville railway crossing should be fast tracked after a secret VicRoads report recommended its removal, lobbyists say.

The report, produced in June last year, outlines a timeline for the removal of 45 priority level crossings, based on safety, congestion and cost.

The recommendations don’t match some of the locations or the rollout schedule the State Government is currently undertaking.

Yarraville was one of the priority locations listed in the report for a grade separation but has been overlooked for funding.

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The report, which came to light as part of the Port of Melbourne inquiry, reveals the crossing in Anderson St is the third worst in the state for the amount of time cars are stuck at the booms gates during peak hours.

The boom gates are down for up 30 minutes an hour during the morning peak, with 16-20 trains passing through hourly and is predicted to increase to up to 35 minutes every hour by 2022.

The crossing is also one of the worst in the state for fatalities, serious injuries, collisions and near misses.

Greens MP Colleen Hartland accused the State Government of playing politics when it came to critical spending decisions.

“In the marginal northern suburbs, Labor will remove a level crossing where boom gates are down just eight per cent of the time,” she said.

“This is clearly pork barrelling and it’s just wrong.

“It’s shocking to think that lives will continue to be at risk as we are not a marginal electorate.”

She said, given the evidence, the government must commit to the Yarraville pedestrian overpass.

LeadWest chief executive Craig Rowley said the need for safety improvements for pedestrians and cyclists using the railway would only become more urgent as the boom gate down times increased.

Kosta Pandos, a spokesman for Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan, said its 50 level crossing removals were chosen based on data around crash history, boom gate down times and road congestion.

He said the Yarraville crossing would be considered in the future.

AT A GLANCE:

■ The pedestrian underpass in Yarraville was concreted in 18 years ago by the former Public Transport Corporation despite community outrage

■ It was removed due to problems with flooding, rubbish, graffiti, and anti-social behaviour such as drug offences and assaults

■ Maribyrnong Council will investigate building an overpass that would extend from a multi-level car park at the Yarraville Goods Yard

■ Concerns have been raised by the community around boom gate waiting times

■ A cyclist died after being struck by a train at the crossing in 2007