The Western Australian Government has allocated $3 million to upgrade and improve safety at 11 railway crossings along the Australind Line.
Over the next three years, 11 railway crossings along the line will be upgraded in the Peel and South-West regions, including:
- Leslie Street, Serpentine – flashing lights to be replaced with a boom gate
- Waterloo Road, Picton – flashing lights to be replaced with a boom gate
- Lakes Road, North Dandalup – flashing lights to be replaced with a boom gate
- Forrest Avenue, Bunbury – pedestrian crossing renewal
- Station Street, Yarloop – flashing lights to be replaced with a boom gate
- Clifton Road, Yarloop – flashing lights to be replaced with a boom gate
- Johnston Road, Yarloop – flashing lights control renewal
- Watkins Road, Mundijong – pedestrian crossing renewal
- Uduc Road, Harvey (North) – automatic gate pedestrian crossing upgrade
- Uduc Road, Harvey (South) – pedestrian crossing renewal
- Peterson Road, Warawarrup – flashing lights control renewal.
Active railway crossings, which feature warning bells, flashing lights and automatically operated boom gates, can significantly improve safety for road users by helping prevent accidental collisions and near misses where regional roads cross railway tracks.
Pedestrian safety will also be improved with several existing pedestrian crossings to be replaced with disability compliant crossing facilities.
The pedestrian crossing works include the upgrade of existing pedestrian paths and the installation of new mazes, signage and pavement markings.
The 181 kilometre Australind Train Line, which operates four daily services between Perth and Bunbury, has been running since 1947 with approximately 1500 passengers making the return journey each week.
The upgrades will be staged over three years, with work commencing on the first three projects before the end of 2022.
In early 2023, the Armadale Line will close for up to 18 months and services on the Australind Line will also be impacted.