Level-crossing accident should be wake-up call - Tesch
A level-crossing accident at Woy Woy last Wednesday should be a wake-up call for the NSW Government to replace it with an underpass, according to Member for Gosford Ms Liesl Tesch.
Police Inspector Scott James of Brisbane Water command said no-one was hurt or injured in the accident, including the car driver, the train driver and the guard.
He said a female driver was attempting to cross the level crossing in traffic when the boom gates came down as she was waiting to complete crossing the railway line.
The train collided with the front of her car and pushed it.
The car was a write-off, he said.
Inspector James said there were more than 70 people on the train at the time.
The accident caused significant delays to train services, he said.
The incident was being investigated by the Police Transport Command.
Ms Tesch said she was grateful no one was harmed.
"It's been a decade since the NSW Liberal Government promised to fix this level-crossing.
"This is a wake-up call that we need to fix this for the safety of our community," said Ms Tesch.
Ms Tesch said she had written a letter to the NSW Transport Minister asking for an update about the 2011 NSW Government commitment and what plans Transport for NSW had to make the level-crossing safer.
She said she had already raised concerns with Council administrator Mr Rik Hart about the level-crossing and will again urge Council to work with the NSW Government to prioritise investment for an appropriate solution.
"I hope the Minister will understand the Woy Woy level crossing is an urgent safety concern for residents."
Ms Tesch said the NSW Liberal Government made the commitment to fix the dangerous level crossing in 2011 during the State election campaign.
She said then Opposition Leader Mr Barry O'Farrell flanked by former Liberal candidate for Gosford Mr Chris Holstein announced a $30 million commitment to fix Woy Woy Rd including the Rawson Rd Level Crossing and the underpass.
"In 2016, the NSW Liberal Government walked away from the commitment due to cost blowouts and disagreements with the former Gosford Council," she said.
"A decade later, the deadly level-crossing remains in place and the NSW Liberal Government still has no plan to fix this chronically dangerous part of our transport system."
SOURCE:
Interview (Liz MackDacy), 25 Nov 2021
Scott James, NSW Police Brisbane Water
Media release, 24 Nov 2021
Liesl Tesch, Member for Gosford