Tassie drivers, pedestrians risking lives around level crossings

More Tasmanian drivers and pedestrians are making dangerous choices at level crossings, with terrifying new footage showing just how close some motorists come to colliding with trains. WATCH THE VIDEO >>

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THE number of Tasmanian motorists and pedestrians doing the wrong thing at level crossings and trespassing onto railway tracks has climbed and TasRail is using National Rail Safety Week to again plead with drivers to stick to the road rules.

In 2020-21, TasRail reported a 27 per cent increase in level crossing failure to stop or give way incidents around the state.

More than 65 per cent of 42 level crossing incidents reported happened on the North West Coast.

The Station St street crossing in Brighton. Picture: TASRAIL

In the south, eight rail corridor trespass incidents were reported and six failure to give way.

In the north there were 25 trespass incidents and eight drivers failed to stop at a crossing.

But in the north west there were 33 trespass incidents and 28 motorists failed to stop or give way at level crossing.

The level crossings of greatest concern were Formby Rd in Devonport, Reibey St, Ulverstone, Main St, Penguin and Glenstone Rd in Brighton.

“Pedestrians and trains don’t mix. There is no such thing as a safe shortcut through the rail corridor,” TasRail Senior Safety Specialist Corrie Summers said.

“The rail corridor, including our rail yards, around the state is no place for members of the public.”

TasRail's Matthew Patten and Corrie Summers at a level crossing in Devonport

TasRail’s General Manager of Freight Services Matthew Patten said trainee locomotive drivers were taught many things about level crossing procedure such as approach methods, awareness of surroundings and pedestrians.

“What cannot be taught is how to cover off on the dangerous behaviour of road drivers. Our train drivers can guess but cannot ever quite know what they are thinking,” Mr Patten said.

“Locomotives can’t swerve. It can take 1km or so for them to stop under emergency brake. “We ask motorists to consider how they would feel in that situation.”

Mr Patten said while many thousands of Tasmanians interact with the railway daily – the majority without incident – any level crossing or trespass incident had the potential to cause serious harm or loss of life.