Published Thursday, 06 December, 2007 at 09:49 AM
Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
Don’t risk your life trespassing on railway tracks
Brisbane school students have been encouraged not to endanger their lives trespassing on railway tracks during the school holiday break.
Minister for Transport John Mickel today said safety was QR’s highest priority and appealed for people to stay away from the rail corridor and only use designated safe crossing points.
"The school holidays are meant to be a time for fun not tragedy".
“The school holidays do present a concern for us. While young people are not the only offenders, we tend to see an increase in incidents during the holiday period,” Mr Mickel said.
“Unauthorised access to the rail corridor could cost you your life.
“By the time a train driver can see a trespasser it’s too late - the train cannot stop in time to avoid a collision.”
Plain-clothed Transit Officers will focus on this illegal and extremely dangerous behaviour over the holidays, targeting trespassers across the QR Citytrain network and issuing on-the-spot fines from $150 to $300.
Mr Mickel said railway tracks must always be crossed using overhead footbridges, tunnels or subways and formal level crossings.
“Too many times there are near misses because pedestrians take short cuts or disregard warning signs and safety infrastructure - only use designated safe crossing points and keep behind the yellow line at platforms,” he said.
“We also ask people not to use pushbikes, skateboards or rollerblades on platforms and overhead bridges because of the potential for dangerous situations to emerge when trains enter or leave the station.”
QR’s new CEO Lance Hockridge said 15 accidental trespasser fatalities had occurred across QR’s state network over the past eight years, including 10 on the Citytrain network.
“Sadly these deaths could have been prevented if people had obeyed the warnings and stayed off the rail corridors,” he said.
“Safety is paramount to QR and the safety of our staff and drivers is also at risk because of reckless behaviour near the tracks. People should consider the impact on our staff in terms of injury and trauma of accidents and near misses.”
Mr Hockridge said the team of Transit Officers had increased from 80 to 110 during the past year and were focused on patrolling the Citytrain network, with support from a 55-strong Queensland Police Railway Squad.
QR’s ongoing safety campaign, RailSmart, also includes permanent signage and yellow safety strips on the platforms with the slogan “stay off the tracks or get a fine, injury or worse”. There are advertising and community education campaigns, together with presentations and programs at schools by QR’s Community Education Unit. Each year the Community Education team visits about 460 schools, reaching 160,000 students.
During the last financial year, an estimated 1750 trespass incidents were reported to QR. Transit Officers and the Police Rail Squad issued about 450 fines and almost 100 warnings.
“We are pleased to see the numbers declining – there were 76 less reported incidents compared to the 2005/2006 financial year,” Mr Hockridge said.
“QR’s tireless efforts to educate the public are having a positive effect but ultimately individuals must take personal responsibility and do the right thing on our property.”
Mr Hockridge also urged motorists and pedestrians to take special care and obey all traffic signals when they approached level crossings.
“Most collisions between a train and a motorist or pedestrian happen due to carelessness, so remember to be aware, look, listen and live,” he said.
Media contact: Chris Brown (07) 3237 1944 or Nathan Moir 3235 4060
December 6, 2007
Minister for Transport John Mickel today said safety was QR’s highest priority and appealed for people to stay away from the rail corridor and only use designated safe crossing points.
"The school holidays are meant to be a time for fun not tragedy".
“The school holidays do present a concern for us. While young people are not the only offenders, we tend to see an increase in incidents during the holiday period,” Mr Mickel said.
“Unauthorised access to the rail corridor could cost you your life.
“By the time a train driver can see a trespasser it’s too late - the train cannot stop in time to avoid a collision.”
Plain-clothed Transit Officers will focus on this illegal and extremely dangerous behaviour over the holidays, targeting trespassers across the QR Citytrain network and issuing on-the-spot fines from $150 to $300.
Mr Mickel said railway tracks must always be crossed using overhead footbridges, tunnels or subways and formal level crossings.
“Too many times there are near misses because pedestrians take short cuts or disregard warning signs and safety infrastructure - only use designated safe crossing points and keep behind the yellow line at platforms,” he said.
“We also ask people not to use pushbikes, skateboards or rollerblades on platforms and overhead bridges because of the potential for dangerous situations to emerge when trains enter or leave the station.”
QR’s new CEO Lance Hockridge said 15 accidental trespasser fatalities had occurred across QR’s state network over the past eight years, including 10 on the Citytrain network.
“Sadly these deaths could have been prevented if people had obeyed the warnings and stayed off the rail corridors,” he said.
“Safety is paramount to QR and the safety of our staff and drivers is also at risk because of reckless behaviour near the tracks. People should consider the impact on our staff in terms of injury and trauma of accidents and near misses.”
Mr Hockridge said the team of Transit Officers had increased from 80 to 110 during the past year and were focused on patrolling the Citytrain network, with support from a 55-strong Queensland Police Railway Squad.
QR’s ongoing safety campaign, RailSmart, also includes permanent signage and yellow safety strips on the platforms with the slogan “stay off the tracks or get a fine, injury or worse”. There are advertising and community education campaigns, together with presentations and programs at schools by QR’s Community Education Unit. Each year the Community Education team visits about 460 schools, reaching 160,000 students.
During the last financial year, an estimated 1750 trespass incidents were reported to QR. Transit Officers and the Police Rail Squad issued about 450 fines and almost 100 warnings.
“We are pleased to see the numbers declining – there were 76 less reported incidents compared to the 2005/2006 financial year,” Mr Hockridge said.
“QR’s tireless efforts to educate the public are having a positive effect but ultimately individuals must take personal responsibility and do the right thing on our property.”
Mr Hockridge also urged motorists and pedestrians to take special care and obey all traffic signals when they approached level crossings.
“Most collisions between a train and a motorist or pedestrian happen due to carelessness, so remember to be aware, look, listen and live,” he said.
Media contact: Chris Brown (07) 3237 1944 or Nathan Moir 3235 4060
December 6, 2007