KEY POINTS:
Pressure is building for rail level-crossings to be abolished in Auckland before the region gets faster, quieter and deadlier electric trains by 2013.
Auckland Regional Council's transport policy committee called yesterday for a staff report on prospects for the region's 61 level-crossings. Government rail agency Ontrack has indicated
it is the responsibility of local bodies to build bridges or underpasses if they want to separate road traffic from trains.
Veteran councillor Bill Burrill said the tragedy in Victoria last week in which 11 people were killed aboard a train hit by a truck at a rural crossing was "certain" to be repeated in Auckland if the railway were to be electrified without the closure of level crossings.
"I don't really think we have grasped the issue. It is a lot harder going to funerals than doing something that has to be done."
His warning preceded the deaths of two people in a car hit by a train at a level crossing in the Bay of Plenty last night.
Ontrack's northern regional manager, Phil McQueen, told the committee meeting that his agency had been upgrading level crossings along Auckland's western railways line at the same time as duplicating its tracks.
That included installing new barrier arms.
The agency was reviewing the design of all its Auckland crossings to identify possible safety improvements as rail services became more frequent.
But Mr McQueen said it had always been the responsibility of roading authorities to replace crossings with bridges or underpasses if they decided these were desirable.
"Unfortunately it has proven difficult to close crossings or grade-separate them."
Even so, he said, Papakura District Council was considering separating road traffic from the railway line running through Takanini, where regional councillor Dianne Glenn said traffic often banked up along Great South Rd waiting for trains to pass.
Councillor Paul Walbran said a similar problem faced Glen Eden, where a level crossing right next to the shopping centre caused serious traffic delays.
Yet Ontrack had spent a substantial sum building a large footbridge just up the tracks.
Ontrack spokeswoman Jenni Austin said there had been no vehicle collisions at Auckland's level crossings in the past 12 months, at a time when there were 23 nationally.
There had been one non-fatal accident at a pedestrian crossing which had since been upgraded in the western line duplication, she said.
Of the 61 Auckland crossings, 41 were for vehicles, and 20 just for pedestrians.
Barrier arms were installed at 31 vehicle crossings, and the other 10 had flashing lights and bells.
But Ms Austin said those at Christian Rd in Swanson and St Georges Rd in Avondale were due to be upgraded with barrier arms in future track duplication work.
Despite Mr McQueen's advice about local body responsibility for separating roads from railway tracks, the Government is seen as having set a major precedent by pledging $120 million to bury a kilometre of the western railway line through New Lynn over the next two years.
Ms Austin said that would remove two level crossings, at the notorious Clark St roundabout and at Veronica St.
Ontrack is also discussing prospects with Auckland City Council for closing the Sarawia St crossing in Newmarket, possibly replacing it with a new road bridge from Cowie St to Laxon Terrace as part of a $70 million station and railway junction upgrade.