Rail Safety Week
Statement
Hon Julie Freeman (8:53 pm): This week is Rail Safety Week, a national campaign dedicated to raising awareness and promoting safe behaviour around our rail networks. I rise to speak on an issue that remains a glaring gap in our transport safety system—the lack of mandatory auxiliary lighting on locomotives and the ongoing reliance on passive level crossings across Western Australia and the nation.
On 8 July 2000, Western Australia experienced a tragedy that should have led to lasting change. Jess Broad, Hilary Smith and Christian Jensen were killed when their car was struck by a fully loaded grain train at the Yarramony Road crossing near Jennacubbine. That crossing had no lights or boom gates—just a give-way sign. It was completely passive, unlit, and provided virtually no warning of the approaching train. In response, the 2001 coronial inquest recommended that auxiliary lighting be made mandatory on locomotives and rolling stock to improve train visibility, particularly in rural and low light conditions, yet here we are, 25 years later, and that recommendation remains unfulfilled. There is still no national standard requiring auxiliary lighting on trains in Australia. The train is the biggest and most dangerous form of land transportation and yet there are no requirements for lighting. Road trains are lit up like Christmas trees. Cars have lighting requirements. Even bicycles need lights at night. So why are trains exempt?
The consequences of the inaction are clear. Since the Yarramony tragedy, more than 100 lives have been lost at level crossings in the country, with thousands more near misses. Many of these crossings, particularly in regional areas, remain passive, meaning that they rely solely on static roadside signs to alert motorists. In fact, four out of five level crossings in Australia are still passive, offering no flashing lights, no bells and no warnings. This is not a technology problem; it is a political and regulatory one. Auxiliary lighting is a simple, affordable safety feature. It is already used on some locomotives voluntarily, but without mandatory national standards, implementation remains inconsistent. I can speak from personal experience of driving at night and approaching a rail crossing. If it did not have the flashing lights, you would not see anything. Iron ore trains are black with iron ore dust. It is a black night. There is a black road. There is dark bush on both sides. The reflectors are covered in dust. You literally cannot see anything if you have not seen the headlight because there is nothing on the sides. It would be like driving into a brick wall. We must do better.
Rail Safety Week is a time to not only reflect but also act. In Western Australia, with our vast distances, regional freight lines and growing transport demands, we are particularly vulnerable to the dangers posed by unlit trains and passive crossings. We need to lead the call for mandatory auxiliary lighting on all locomotives and rolling stock, a national standard to ensure consistent safety across borders, and an accelerated program to upgrade passive level crossings, particularly in rural and regional communities. We owe this to not only Jess, Hilary and Christian, but also every family who has lost someone at a level crossing. We owe it to our train drivers and rail workers who too often bear the trauma of these incidents, and we owe it to every motorist and pedestrian who crosses tracks every day, trusting that the infrastructure will keep them safe. Let Rail Safety Week be more than a reminder; let it be a turning point.
