Labor has committed $85 million to remove a level crossing at Lindum station in the east-Brisbane suburb of Wynnum, where a woman was fatally injured in February.
The election promise, made by shadow transport minister Anthony Albanese on April 18, would add to $40 million committed by Brisbane City Council, and $400,000 previously committed by the Queensland Government to remove the crossing.
By contrast, the Coalition has committed $400,000 to fund an investigation into the crossing’s removal.
“One of the things about Labor is that our commitments aren’t off into the never-never,” Albanese told the media at the crossing on Thursday. “We’ll get this done as soon as practicable, because that is what the local community here want.”
Queensland Rail recorded 32 misses between trains and either cars or pedestrians at the crossing between 2013 and 2017.
Labor candidate for Bonner, Joe Briskey, said small businesses in the area wanted the crossing gone.
“This is a significant issue for this community and it’s been going on for too long,” Briskey said. “I just want to make sure that we focus on getting this fixed, and getting it fixed as quickly as we possibly can.”
Bonner is currently a Liberal National seat held by Ross Vasta, who won the seat from Labor in 2010, and has also campaigned for the crossing’s removal for some time.