Railway crossings with LED lights and audio warnings are part of a safety trial in Taranaki, planned for possible use nationwide.
The new technology will be installed at three crossings along the Coastal Walkway in New Plymouth as part of a project jointly funded by KiwiRail, the NZ Transport Agency and New Plymouth District Council, Stuff reports.
“The sites will have a mix of audio warnings, LED footpath warnings or both audio and LEDs, and the users will be surveyed for their opinions on the technology’s usefulness,” council infrastructure manager David Langford says.
“To install the technology and enlarge the entry mazes to meet current standards, each crossing will be closed for a fortnight during construction.”
The three sites are the Tasman Towers crossing, Wind Wand crossing and Cutfield Rd crossing. KiwiRail will use the trial results in planning of safe railway pedestrian crossings throughout New Zealand.
The three crossings were among those reviewed by the council last year after Matthew Meijer, 27, was killed by a train crossing the tracks.
During Rail Safety Week in August, signs nationally encouraged people to remove their headphones when crossing tracks.
The Tasman Towers crossing, which gets audio warning and footpath decal messages, will be closed for two weeks from November 13.
The Wind Wand crossing, which will have audio warning and an LED illuminated pathway, closes temporarily from November 27.
The Cutfield Rd crossing, which gets an LED illuminated pathway and footpath decal messages, closes for about a fortnight from mid-January.
