A One Network approach to improving safety on the national road and rail system will identify New Zealand’s busiest level crossings and see how they can be made safer and more efficient.
To improve freight efficiency by better integration of road and rail, the NZ Transport Agency, and KiwiRail is combining efforts to look jointly at ways to upgrade some of New Zealand’s busiest level crossings.
The new approach recognises that level crossing safety is a shared challenge between the two says the Transport Agency’s freight portfolio director David Silvester.
“We are analysing data on traffic movements and incidents at level crossings, to identify those on the State Highway network that is a high priority. Once this is complete, we will target the top 10 and determine the options for improving safety and efficiency,” says Silvester.
“When it comes to the movement of freight, which is the lifeblood of our economy, safety and efficiency go hand in hand,” he says.
An example of this is a project launching in conjunction with the Police, local government, and TrackSAFE, called ‘Always expect trains.’
The campaign features an enormous train-like billboard that has been moving around provincial level crossings in the lower North Island.
