Queensland Rail has urged motorists to be aware of their vehicle’s height and load, following a 70% increase in the number of over-height vehicles striking rail-over-road bridges across South East Queensland last financial year.
In FY18, QR saw 94 bridge strike incidents across SEQ, compared with 55 incidents reported in FY17.
QR’s executive general manager Citytrain, Nick King, said the state operator was disappointed in the rise in incidents, and urged motorists to simply take care and pay closer attention.
“Not only do bridge strike incidents have the ability to be extremely dangerous for the motorists involved, but they can also cause costly damage to our infrastructure and lengthy delays to our customers while we carry out bridge inspections and any required repairs,” King said.
“In 2017-18, more than 700 services and 184,000 customers were delayed as a result of bridge strike incidents. These delays are unacceptable, and could have been easily avoided had the motorists involved taken more care.”
King says QR in 2017 undertook “extensive work” to install new strike prevention beams at key locations on the Caboolture Line at Dakabin, and Countess Street in Brisbane’s CBD.
“However, the reality is every rail bridge on the SEQ network is fitted with at least a height clearance sign so there’s really no excuse,” he said.
“It’s up to motorists to be alert and know their vehicle’s height and load.
“This message is particularly important for people who may not be used to driving over-height vehicles, such as rental truck drivers, or those who might’ve recently gotten themselves a new truck or caravan. Before you head on the road, learn your vehicle’s height and plan your route accordingly, steering clear of any rail bridges where your vehicle is over-height.”
King also pointed out bridge strikes have the ability to hurt a motorist’s hip pocket, with fines of up to $1,009 and four demerit points for those who damage Queensland Rail infrastructure.