Local motorists have been warned – stop on the red light at the Healesville railway crossing or expect to be fined. Police and train drivers fear drivers jumping the lights will be killed.
By Kath Gannaway
HEALESVILLE drivers who choose to take their chances on the town’s only railway crossing are on notice from Healesville police.
“Local drivers need to obey the rules the same as everyone else,” Sgt Wayne Williams warned.
“Run the gauntlet (against the lights) and you will be fined.”
Yarra Valley Railway wrote to police last month following incidents where motorists have ignored the flashing red lights at the crossing on the Healesville/ Kinglake Road. “Motorists can’t be bothered waiting and decide to run the gauntlet in what is a potentially dangerous game,” said Sgt Williams.
“They may not be your traditional V-Line trains, but if you run a car against them, the train will certainly win,” he said.
Yarra Valley Railway president Brett Morton said the company alerted police after concerns from its drivers at the number of vehicles ignoring the lights.
Both Sgt Williams and Yarra Valley Railway president Brett Morton believe it is complacent, local drivers who are taking the risks.
“We wouldn’t have written to police if it had been just an isolated incident,” Mr Morton said.
“We are getting drivers approaching the crossing, having a look and going across anyway,” he said. “Some do it with plenty of time and some don’t.”
The railway has for a number of years run trolley rides from Healesville to the Tarrawarra Tunnel, but from past year has been regularly running a passenger diesel motor which has considerably more bulk behind it.
“Our railway crossing is different to the suburban crossings in that it doesn’t have boom gates, but we have had the lights there for a long time, and people just need to get used to it,” Mr Morton said.
“We’ve gone from the trolley to the rail motor and we will be moving on to the locomotive with carriages.
“The bigger the trains are, the harder they are to stop, and the longer the stopping time gets,” he said, adding that there is always plenty of notice given to motorists.
He said there are strict rules governing train drivers and the warnings they have to give which are flashing lights and warning whistles. He said while their drivers drive defensively, give plenty of warning, and are not operating at high speed, there is always the potential for a collision if motorists and motor cyclists flaunt the rules.
Sgt Williams said fines for ignoring traffic signals are he same in Healesville as they are in Melbourne or any other place where trains operate and warned police would be looking out for offenders.
“Anyone caught running the gauntlet on the Healesville crossing will have their vehicles inspected and they’ll be heavily fined,” he said.
