After more than a decade of nighttime-only trains on the Finegand branch line, KiwiRail announced earlier this month that daytime freight would resume.
The branch crosses the Owaka Highway at a level crossing marked with ‘‘give-way’’ signs near Silver Fern Farms’ Finegand freezing works.
KiwiRail Dunedin operations manager Johno Lyons said at least three near misses had been reported at the crossing since daytime rail traffic resumed on February 16, and officials were concerned it was only a matter of time before a collision occurred.
He believed the issue was one of public awareness, as drivers on the busy Catlins access road did not expect to meet trains at the crossing due to long experience.
A site visit yesterday showed many drivers failing to slow down at all when approaching the crossing.
‘‘The message really applies to all level crossings, which is you can expect to encounter a train on any crossing at any time, day or night.
‘‘We want everyone to be safe, including our drivers and all road users.
‘‘That means slowing down on approach to the crossing, obeying all signs and warnings, and only crossing when you’re certain it’s safe.’’
He said although the crossing was fully compliant with safety regulations, KiwiRail was working with the Clutha District Council to assess whether further safety measures could be deployed.
‘‘People are used to not seeing trains at the crossing during the day,’’ he said.
‘‘Because daytime traffic volumes are higher, and this is a 100kmh road, the risks have increased significantly,’’ Mr Lyons said.
He said a train travelling at 25kmh had a stopping distance of about 500 metres.
‘‘Unfortunately in a car versus train incident, the car will always come off worse.’’
Balclutha also had a poor record for non-compliance at its High St level crossing.
Despite this being a signalled crossing, some drivers believed they could cross if it simply appeared to be safe, he said.
‘‘If the lights and bells are going, it’s not only dangerous, but illegal to cross,’’ he said.
‘‘Balclutha has a particularly high level of non-compliance at this crossing — including recent near misses — but we’re taking steps to monitor things more closely to improve safety for all users.’’
