Public Transport Users Association calls for ‘urgent action’ at notorious North Shore level crossing

The Public Transport Users Association has called for the state government to remove a “dangerous” level crossing in North Shore after a horrific collision claimed the life of a young dad in December.

Emergency services at the scene of a fatal collision between a truck and train in December. Inset, PTUA regional spokesman Paul Wescott. Picture: Brad Fleet

A transport users organisation has urgently called for a notorious North Shore level crossing to be removed after a young dad was killed in a horrific smash last year.

Frankston truck driver Johnny Stubbs, 30, died after a V/Line Melbourne-bound train collided with his truck on December 11.

It is believed Mr Stubbs was out of his vehicle at the time of the crash after the truck’s trailer, which was carrying a heavy load of machinery, became stuck on the tracks.

He had just become a father for the third time.

The Geelong line was closed for more than 24 hours, causing major delays for commuters.

The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) on Monday urgently called for the state government to remove the “dangerous” and “disruptive” level crossing.

The organisations’s regional spokesman Paul Wescott said the level crossing was “Geelong’s most dangerous”.

“The North Shore level crossing is not only a major safety hazard but also a regular source of disruption,” he said.

“It causes a lot of problems, not just for motorists but for rail travellers who are regularly held up by incidents.”

Mr Wescott said the crossing has a “concerning” history of increasingly frequent safety issues.

“If anything, it has got worse,” he said.

“Fortunately, until the recent incident, there were no fatalities but it is mystifying why it is such a problematic crossing.”

There were three crashes within six months at the level crossing, including December’s fatality.

In September last year, a car crashed into the boom gates.

In July, a tractor also hit the gates.

Both incidents caused minor damage and no one was injured, however led to major train delays for commuters on the Geelong line.

A bus also collided with the boom gates in 2020.

“No other crossing has that number of incidents and delays,” Mr Wescott said.

He said the organisation was not aware of the level crossing being on any state government list to be removed.

“It is essential that it be prioritised for removal,” Mr Wescott said.

“There seems to be no other solution.

“We believe that some crossings in Melbourne which have been removed are possibly less significant in terms of the dangers they pose than the North Shore one.”

The North Shore Road level crossing is managed and maintained by the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC), but any decisions about level crossing removal are made by state government.

A Department of Transport and Planning spokeswoman said: “We will continue to work with the Australian Rail Track Corporation to assess the level crossings that should be prioritised for removal.”

Level crossings in Victoria for priority upgrading are assessed based on risk against all other crossings in Victoria using the Australian Level Crossings Assessment model (ALCAM).

Originally published as Public Transport Users Association calls for ‘urgent action’ at notorious North Shore level crossing