Public open level crossings — infrastructure programs
Currently there are 1602 public level crossings on the entire Queensland rail network. Of this 1305 public open level crossings are on the non-commercial rail network. All open level crossings in Queensland have some form of active or passive protection. Passive protection includes warning signs and road markings. Active protection includes flashing lights and boom gates.
Please note that the number of public level crossings is subject to change due to rail and road infrastructure projects and reclassifications of branch lines.
Commonwealth Government — Boom Gates for Rail Crossings Program
As part of the Federal Government’s ‘Nation Building — Economic Stimulus Plan’, Queensland was allocated A$42.74 million for the ‘Boom Gates for Rail Crossings Program’. The entire national allocation for the program is A$150 million.
Queensland Rail Limited, in association with the Department of Transport and Main Roads has developed a program consisting of 66 priority public open level crossing upgrade projects. The program focused on the delivery of boom gates, however, the upgrades included other forms of active and passive protection.
Selection of the program was based on numerous factors including: information from key stakeholders, accident and incident history, near miss data, train driver observations, public representation as well as local knowledge of the level crossings.
Queensland Rail Limited was engaged to manage the delivery of the program on behalf of the Queensland Government. The program is estimated to have supported approximately 167 jobs per annum over the two years of the program via direct and indirect employment.
As at end August 2010, all 66 upgrades have been successfully completed.
For a full list of the public open level crossings enhanced under this initiative, please see the table below:
Boom Gates for Rail Crossings Program — August status (PDF, 70 KB)
Please refer to the attached map of Queensland depicting the location of the 66 open level crossings in the program:
Queensland program map (PDF, 311 KB)
Alternatively you may refer to the Nation Building Program* website.
Transport Services Contract (Rail Infrastructure) II
Through the Open Level Crossing Protection Strategy, funded by the state government via the Transport Services Contract (Rail Infrastructure), Queensland Rail Limited is implementing a program of safety assessments and improvements for all public open level crossings on the non-commercial rail network.
The program commenced under the Transport Service Contract (Rail Infrastructure) in 1999 with A$13.8 million spent on the program up to and including June 2006. This program has been extended in the renewed Transport Service Contract (Rail Infrastructure) for the period July 2006-June 2013 with an additional funding commitment of approximately A$17 million. This program concentrates on the assessment and subsequent upgrading of open level crossing safety.
There are 1305 public level crossings on the supported network, all of which have been risk assessed using the Australian Level Crossing Assessment Model (ALCAM). Approximately 1237 of 1305 open level crossings have received safety upgrades in accordance with recommendations. This represents over 90 per cent of the non commercial network and Queensland Rail Limited is currently planning the completion of the remaining works.
The reported expenditure for rail crossing upgrade works undertaken under the current Transport Service Contract (Rail Infrastructure) to the end of August 2010 is A$12.86 million.
For more information, please refer to the Transport Service Contract (Rail Infrastructure)
QR Task Force
The QR Level Crossing Task Force was formed by Queensland Rail Limited to consider level crossing safety risks in North Queensland following the tragic level crossing accident near Cardwell in late November 2008 in which two train drivers died.
The task force includes safety and operational experts, train drivers and rail unions. Eight priority level crossings have been identified within North Queensland to receive enhancements under a A$10 million funding package. The eight crossings identified for enhancements were:
- Wainai Road — Farleigh
- Bruce Highway — Big Red, Bowen
- Bruce Highway — Brandon
- Bruce Highway — Rungoo
- Bruce Highway — Conn
- Bruce Highway — Cardwell
- Aerodrome Road — Mudoo
- Garradunga Road — Garradunga
Each of the eight crossings had controls in place that were in accordance with the guidelines of the ALCAM, however the additional treatments further enhance the safety of train drivers and motorists and pedestrians at these locations.
All upgrades have now been completed, with final commissioning undertaken during April 2010. Additional safety signage and road markings have been installed at all sites with boom gates installed at Farleigh, Rungoo, Cardwell and Conn. Advanced Active Warnings and flashing strobe lights have been installed at Bowen, Brandon, Rungoo, Cardwell and Conn. In addition, safety cameras have been installed at Bowen and Brandon.
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