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Soon after a train collided with a semi-trailer at Pirron Yallock on Wednesday, injuring 19 people, it emerged the Phalps Road crossing had been earmarked for an urgent upgrade early last year.
Member for Wannon Dan Tehan was among those who questioned why it had taken so long.
“Obviously it’s very fortunate that there wasn’t a loss of life,” Mr Tehan said. “My worry and concern is with the length of time it has taken from the announcement of things to be done to them actually being done.”
“I think there needs to be a redoubling of efforts to ensure that when projects are announced that they're completed in a timely manner.
A spokesman for Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan said the incident was a “stark reminder” that people needed to stay safe around level crossings, and confirmed two crossings on the Warrnambool line were to be upgraded.
“Work to upgrade the Phalps Road crossing began last year, the power and signalling work has been done, and the lights, bells and boom gates will be in by the end of the year,” he said. “Sandys Lane in Gnotuk will also be upgraded by the end of the year and further upgrades will be considered in future.”
There was a fatal collision at the Gnotuk crossing in 2014 and a near miss in 2012.
Under the previous State Government’s level crossings program, between 2013 and 2014 eight level crossings on the Warrnambool line were upgraded and one at Terang was closed.
“Daniel Andrews and Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan have taken their eye off the ball with their failure to keep to the promised timeline to equip the Phalps Road, Pirron Yallock level crossing with boom barriers, along with another level crossing at Gnotuk,” opposition public transport spokesman David Hodgett said.
“Ms Allan, the 'Minister for Mistakes' has been too busy trying to introduce Labor's deceitful SkyRail ... to stick to what Minister for Roads Luke Donnellan said in February 2015 about 'fast tracking' these two Warrnambool line level crossing upgrades.”
