Drivers in the Queensland city of Toowoomba can now be caught on camera and fined if they don’t pay attention to the height of their vehicle, with the North Street railway overpass becoming the first regional location to receive a bridge strike alert system.
Acting Queensland Rail Head of Regional Scott Cornish said it’s drivers’ responsibility to know the height of their vehicle every time they get behind the wheel.
“Toowoomba’s North Street railway bridge has become the first regional site to receive a Structural Monitoring and Alert System (SMAS) system, which captures bridge strikes on camera in real time and can also measure the force of the impact,” he said.
“When a bridge collision is detected, Queensland Rail is forced to halt trains while an inspection occurs to ensure the track is still safe to run. This system means bridge strikes can be immediately assessed remotely, which will help to minimise disruptions on the West Moreton line.
“Our mission is to keep commuters and freight moving as efficiently as possible, however in the past few years the North Street bridge has been struck by over-height vehicles at least a dozen times.
“We’ve released new vision of recent bridge strike incidents in South-East Queensland to show Toowoomba drivers what they could be faced with if they don’t know the height of their vehicle before setting out for the day.
“The new alert system is supported by signage which clearly shows the clearance of the bridge at this location is 3.5 metres and it’s up to drivers to know the height of their vehicle and take a detour if necessary.”
Cornish said the message was timely given a bridge strike at Nambour on the Sunshine Coast last month that halted rail traffic in the area for a week.
“Queensland Rail has launched a refreshed campaign to educate drivers about the dangers of these bridge strikes and how one driver’s actions can impact on thousands of people,” he said.
“Please plan your route in advance and know your trucking height. If you are involved in, or witness a bridge strike, it should be immediately reported to us using the telephone number on the identification plate fixed to the bridge or calling Emergency Network Control on 1800 079 303.
“Last year, 60 bridge strikes were recorded across Queensland Rail’s network – that’s a reduction of 12 from the previous year and while many drivers are paying attention to their surroundings, there are still too many getting caught out.
“Bridge strikes are not only extremely dangerous for road users, they can also cause traffic delays while the vehicle is removed and be extremely taxing on your hip pocket, particularly if rail infrastructure is damaged.
“The fine for over-height trucks that damage rail infrastructure is $1150 and four demerit points and Queensland Rail also actively pursues motorists for the cost of repairs which would otherwise be borne by taxpayers.
“We’ve invested $15.5 million in recent years to install protection beams at 14 high priority low-clearance rail bridges in a bid to prevent impact to the rail bridge itself, improving road safety for road users, cyclists and pedestrians and minimising train delays.”
There are now 44 Structural Monitoring and Alert Systems across the Queensland Rail network.