'Behaviour must change': Level crossing speed limit cut not enough

The Rockview level crossing on Canola Way between Old Junee and Marrar had its 100 kilometre an hour speed limit slashed to 60 kilometres from May 20 following a speed zone review.

A spokesperson for Transport for NSW said the review found a speed reduction was appropriate due to safety concerns raised by the local community and following the completion of a road safety audit at the crossing.

The speed change applies for about 400 metres on each side of the crossing and electronic signage was in place to alert motorists to the speed reduction before the change.

The crossing was the site of a serious incident in March 2023, when a freight train and a truck collided, causing the derailment of multiple train carriages.

Croker Grain at Marrar was among the businesses left out of pocket when the crash closed the railway line for several weeks.

Croker Grain trade manager Lyndon Benecke said while the closure heavily impacted the business, the main priority was the safety of the motorists and train drivers.

"It's more about safety than anything, having a 60-kilometre speed limit is good, but ultimately we would have preferred a boom gate," Mr Benecke said.

Freight company Southern Shorthaul Railroad (SSR) was left to fork out more than $10 million to repair its locomotives and several carriages following the derailment, and multiple train drivers were injured.

SSR director Jason Ferguson agreed the speed reduction was a positive step forward, but believed there was still more work left to be done to prevent accidents between trains and motorists.

"Whilst a speed limit reduction at Canola Way is a positive move, these initiatives only play around the edges of improving the situation," he said.

"Hidden cameras used at Culcairn, Scone and Red Bend back in 2021/2022 showed that around half of road users, including heavy vehicles, failed to stop at level crossing stop signs.

"Most of the major level crossing collisions and resulting derailments over the last 18 months have involved a heavy vehicle failing to stop at stop signs or red flashing lights and the train colliding with the second trailer.

"The risk of a catastrophic heavy vehicle collision with a train at a level crossing has increased as the trucks have got longer.

"If a train hits a heavy vehicle at any place except the prime mover or the back of the rear trailer, it will derail the train every time."

Mr Ferguson said the biggest issue with heavy vehicles and level crossings was truck driver behaviour.

"They simply do not want to stop at these crossings," he said.

"The only way we will see any significant change is for the penalty to be increased to six months loss of licence for any heavy vehicle [driver] that fails to stop at a level crossing stop sign or flashing red lights, and having sign-posted cameras at these crossings to get compliance.

"Until that time, these major crashes will continue to occur."

Mr Ferguson said in Sydney a heavy vehicle driver would lose their licence if they drive an overheight truck through a tunnel - an act that causes disruption but no threat to life.

"Because the penalty is so low for not stopping at a level crossing stop sign and the risk of getting caught is so low, we get heavy vehicle drivers taking enormous risks," he said.

"When you also reflect on truck rollovers at the Canola Way level crossing over the last couple of years, it is obvious that the drivers of those vehicles had no intention of stopping at the stop signs.

"I dread that it will take significant loss of life before legislators take the steps to remove licences from heavy vehicle drivers who do not stop at these railway crossings."

Junee Shire Council has been advocating for safety upgrades to the crossing since the incident and were responsible for some of the new signage.

The council's director of engineering services, Stephen Targett, said ideally further work would be done to realign the road at the crossing, but funding would not allow for it.

"Council along with Transport for NSW have completed safety upgrades at the level crossing," he said.

"These upgrades include additional advanced warning signage and a speed reduction to 60km/h.

"This speed reduction improves the safety for the current alignment. However, if funding became available for further improvements to the alignment, council would consider supporting additional works."