Improving safety

Level Crossing Strategy Council (LCSC) member agencies are committed to reducing risk at railway crossings. In addition we are all encouraged – drivers, riders and pedestrians – to be vigilant, aware and to obey the road rules each time we encounter a railway crossing.

Prioritising treatment

ALCAM is used to objectively prioritise safety treatment across NSW. An ALCAM priortised list of sites is used to develop the state’s annual Level Crossing Safety Improvement Program. The assessment and installation of options are co-ordinated through the Safety Improvement Program.

Many of the higher ranked sites are already fitted with lights and half boom gates. They require substantial and complex changes to road and rail infrastructure which may take a number of years to resolve. Sites may be completed out of ALCAM order as some sites have simpler development requirements than others.

As sites are treated, closed (or site evaluation shows treatment is not required) the ALCAM order changes.

Download priority site list. (25kb PDF)

Treatment options

There are a range of treatment options available for each railway crossing. Their implementation requires integrated, tailored solutions involving both the road and rail authorities. Treatment options include:

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) examined the 87 fatal railway crossing crashes between 1988 and 1998. Most fatal railway crossings occurred at railway crossings with active protection (51%) - 10% with boom gates, 41 % with lights and bells (without booms).

Funding

The NSW government has increased spending on railway crossing safety improvements by more than doubling funding from $12 million to $30 million over five years (2003/04 - 2007/08). This commitment has provided a significant boost to the work of the annual Level Crossing Safety Improvement Program creating a platform from which more complex and long term improvement works have been pursued.

In August 2007 the NSW Government approved continuation of the increased funding for 4 years from 2007/08 - at $7 million per annum.

The Safety Improvement Program means that a combination of sites can be assessed, designed or constructed each year. Local government is asked to contribute to railway crossing improvements on local roads and federal funding is also obtained for some sites.

The complex nature of some sites and the development time required means that sites can remain on the program for a number of years.

A one-third contribution is requested for local roads from local government.

Safety treatments

Major safety treatments typically include road and rail intersection integration on a large scale and cost in excess of $400,000. A large number of minor improvement works are also undertaken each year under the Level Crossing Improvement Program.

View major safety treatments commissioned:
2001/02 | 2002/03 | 2003/04 | 2004/05 | 2005/06 | 2006/07 | 2007/08