Transport for NSW Level Crossing Strategy Council, Yearly Report 2012/13 December 2013 Contents Glossary 3 1. Year in Review: 2012/13 4 1.1. Agency Level Crossing Activities 4 2. Level Crossings in New South Wales 6 2.1. Level Crossing Strategy Council 6 2.2. Level Crossing Communication Working Group 6 2.3. Level Crossing Improvement Program 7 2.4. New LCIP Funding Model 7 2.5. Level Crossing Closures 7 2.6. Level Crossing Incident Data 8 3. Level Crossing Improvement Program 2012/13 (LCIP) - Infrastructure Works 11 3.1. Major Works Completed 11 3.2. Development Work Undertaken 15 3.3. Minor Works 16 4. Level Crossing Improvement Program 2012/13 (LCIP) - Awareness and Enforcement Campaigns 17 4.1. Level Crossing Motorist Awareness Campaign 17 4.2. Level Crossing Awareness and Enforcement Campaigns 18 5. Level Crossing Improvement Program 2012/13 (LCIP) - ALCAM Development and Data Collection 20 5.1. National ALCAM Development 20 5.2. NSW ALCAM Data Collection 20 6. Level Crossing Improvement Program 2012/13 (LCIP) – New Technology 21 6.1. Trial of Low Cost Level Crossing Warning Devices 21 6.2. Development of the Level Crossing Finder 22 7. Level Crossing Improvement Program 2012/13 (LCIP) - Strategy and Policy Development 23 7.1. TfNSW Level Crossing Policies 23 7.2. RMS Level Crossing Guidelines 23 8. LCSC Agency Level Crossing Initiatives 25 8.1. RailCorp Level Crossing Initiatives 25 8.2. ARTC Level Crossing Initiatives 28 8.3. CRC Level Crossing Initiatives 28 9. Interface Agreements 30 10. Funding for Level Crossings in NSW 32 Appendix A: Total LCIP 2012/13 Expenditure 34 Appendix B: Expenditure on Level Crossing Upgrades in NSW Funded through the Level Crossing Improvement Program and by Rail and road Agencies 2007/08 – 2012/13 36 Front Cover “Don’t rush to the other side” campaign poster, Transport for New South Wales. 2012/13 LCSC Yearly Report 2 Glossary Lights, bells, boom gates regulate motorists Active Control Lights, bells, booms, and locking swing gates regulate pedestrians ALCAM Australian Level Crossing Assessment Model ARTC Australian Rail Track Corporation Australian Standard 1742.7-2007 Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices: AS1742.7-2007 Railway Crossings Country Rail Contracts (and its predecessor Country Rail Infrastructure Authority CRC (CRIA)) Country Regional Network (the part of the NSW Rail Network that is owned by CRN CRC) DDA Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (C’wth) DIRN Defined Interstate Rail Network ITSR Independent Transport Safety Regulator JHR John Holland Rail LCIP Level Crossing Improvement Program LCSC Level Crossing Strategy Council LCWG Level Crossing Working Group LCCWG Level Crossing Communication Working Group LGSA Local Government and Shires Associations of NSW Stop or give way signs regulate motorists at a level crossing Passive Control Signs warn pedestrians Mazes control entry to the rail corridor RailCorp Rail Corporation NSW Red Man A flashing warning sign of a ‘Red Man’, which is triggered by oncoming trains Roads & Maritime Services (and its predecessor Roads and Traffic Authority of RMS NSW (RTA)) TfNSW Transport for NSW (and its predecessor Department of Transport) 2012/13 LCSC Yearly Report 3 1. Year in Review: 2012/13 In 2012/13, rail and road agencies spent a total of $24.65 million on level crossing safety initiatives in NSW, $7.51 million of which was provided through the Level Crossing Improvement Program (LCIP). The LCIP is managed by Transport for NSW (TfNSW) and provides funding to accelerate improvements to level crossings at priority sites across NSW, raise community awareness of level crossing safety issues and promote new technology to improve level crossing safety. It is additional to the funds that rail and road agencies spend on maintaining and upgrading level crossings on their networks. During 2012/13, LCIP improvement projects were progressed at 49 public level crossings in NSW. This included major level crossing upgrades completed at Mid Western Highway, Goolgowi; Boree Street, Manildra; Primrose Street, Wingham; Mogriguy Road, Mogriguy; Tilly Willy Road, Macksville and Newell Highway, Gilgandra. Development work for upgrades in future years formed a major part of the 2012/13 LCIP, with concept designs prepared for 3 projects, and detailed designs prepared for 6 projects. Minor construction works were completed at 32 sites. In addition to infrastructure works, the LCIP also funded a number of other level crossing safety initiatives during the year including: • the level crossing motorist awareness campaign, “Don’t rush to the other side” • level crossing awareness and enforcement campaigns in regional NSW • Australian Level Crossing Assessment Model (ALCAM) data collection for 188 sites • the assessment and trial of Low Cost Level Crossing Warning Devices • level crossing strategy and policy development. TfNSW has allocated $21.90 million ($7.30 million per annum) for the LCIP between 2012/13 and 2014/15. This allows for the planning and completion of future priority level crossing upgrades. The following subsections provide an overview of all level crossing improvements delivered by rail and road agencies in 2012/13 (including LCIP funded projects). Appendix A provides a summary of all projects funded under the LCIP in 2012/13 and Appendix B sets out the expenditure on level crossing upgrades funded through the Level Crossing Improvement Program from 2007/08 to 2012/13 in NSW. 1.1. Agency Level Crossing Activities In addition to the LCIP, RailCorp, the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC), the Country Rail Contract (CRC) and the Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) implemented their own programs of level crossing safety improvements. RailCorp RailCorp completed level crossing upgrades at Fairy Meadow and commenced construction at level crossing upgrade at Mullers Lane Berry. Detailed design was completed for two sites, Dapto is scheduled to commence construction in 2013/14 and 2012/13 LCSC Yearly Report 4 Clifton is due for construction in 2015/16. In total, RailCorp has spent $1.90 million on safety improvement works for level crossings on its network in 2012/13. ARTC During 2012/13 ARTC undertook works in the order of $12.90 million to enhance or eliminate level crossings across its network in NSW. Of this, $8.80 million was spent on consolidating ten level crossings into one actively protected level crossing in the north of the state. Other works included enhancing passively controlled sites by lowering or widening cuttings, removing trees, improving road approaches, installing active controls, and acquiring land to close a level crossing. CRC CRC undertook level crossing safety improvements at 27 sites on the Country Regional Network (CRN) at a cost of $1.04 million in 2012/13, with works including improvements to level crossing road surfaces, sighting distances and signalling. This was in addition to CRN’s ongoing program of inspecting, maintaining and improving sighting distances at various level crossings through vegetation control and removal of obstructions such as embankments and signalling upgrades. RMS During 2012-13 RMS continued to assist councils and rail infrastructure managers with the upgrade of level crossings across NSW. Apart from the sites noted in this Report, RMS also provided advice to councils on appropriate safety management measures for railway crossings. Works undertaken by RMS that were not part of the LCIP include: • Contributed to the cost of a passive control pedestrian facility on Manildra Street, Narromine, a road managed by Narromine Shire Council. • Funded progress on planning and land acquisition for safety improvements at Troy Junction Boothenba Road Dubbo, managed by Dubbo City Council. This project will increase the stacking distance between the level crossing and the Newell Hwy to facilitate use by road trains. • Upgraded linemarking and Raised Reflective Pavement Markings (RRPMs) at level crossings on low speed roads in RMS Western and South West regions. • Realigned Interface Agreement templates with changes in rail safety legislation. • Undertook a number of minor safety improvements at level crossings on State roads in response to safety management plans. • Released Lighting for Railway Crossings and Planning Road Infrastructure Upgrades at Railway Crossings Guidelines. 2012/13 LCSC Yearly Report 5 2. Level Crossings in New South Wales Rail and road agencies are responsible for managing risks at level crossings in NSW. Safety regulatory oversight is provided by the Independent Transport Safety Regulator (ITSR) for railway operations and infrastructure and the road/rail interface. Enforcement of road laws is undertaken by the NSW Police Force. 2.1. Level Crossing Strategy Council The Level Crossing Strategy Council (LCSC) is a NSW interagency forum which promotes coordination between agencies regarding level crossing safety. It is made up of senior executive level representation from: • Transport for NSW (Chair) • Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) • Country Rail Contracts (CRC)1 • John Holland Rail (JHR) • RailCorp2 • Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) • Independent Transport Safety Regulator (ITSR) • NSW Police Force • Local Government and Shires Associations of NSW (LGSA). The LCSC is supported by the Level Crossing Working Group (LCWG) which comprises officer level representatives from member agencies. Transport for NSW provides secretariat support and assistance to both the LCSC and LCWG, coordinates the implementation of Level Crossing Improvement Program (LCIP), and manages the application