The Gerogery level crossing accident was a vehicle-train crash that occurred at Bells Road on the Olympic Highway, where it crossed the Main Southern railway in Gerogery, New South Wales, Australia. The crash occurred on 27 January 2001 at 16:07 and resulted in five fatalities in a car that was struck by a Melbourne-bound XPT service travelling at 160 kmh. Although the train derailed in the impact, there were no deaths to the train passengers or crew. The crash site extended for more than 1 km south of the level crossing, with vehicle, train and rail track debris found throughout. There had been a continuing series of crashes at the level crossing prior to the fatal crash, resulting in the local road and rail authorities installing perceptual countermeasures such as warning signs and enhanced road markings in attempts to provide more information to drivers of the crossing location and characteristics and to influence vehicle approach speeds.
A tragic occurrence, the Gerogery level crossing accident served as a focal point for the commencement of reforms to the design, operation and management of railway level crossings across Australia. This reform process is continuing.
Far from being a typical level crossing where a straight road crosses a straight railway line, the Gerogery level crossing was a more complicated road-rail interface involving an important main road (the Olympic Highway), another minor road, and the railway line (the Main Southern railway):
This crash, through the intervention of the local State member, Mr Daryl Maguire MP, Member for Wagga Wagga led the NSW Government to request the Joint Standing Committee on Road Safety (the STAYSAFE Committee) of New South Wales Parliament to conduct a review of the safety of railway level crossings. The report of the Committee (STAYSAFE 56, 2004) was a comprehensive review of road, vehicle, driver and railway-related factors involved in level crossing incidents and crashes. The findings and recommendations of the report led to major reform of railway level crossing safety across Australia.
Following the deaths, an overbridge was built to remove the level crossing, with completion on 16 December 2005. Originally costed in 2001 at $12.5 million, by June 2004 the cost had increased to $18.5 million,[1] and was finally completed at a cost of $24.5 million.[2] The overbridge is named the "Five Mates Crossing" bridge, in memory of the five young men, all friends, who were killed: Kyle Michael Wooden, Luke Gellie Milne, Cameron Michael Tucker, Graham Charles Kelly and Ben Wilkins. They had been heading to Albury to attend an evening rugby league match. Commemorative crosses and memorial plate were set alongside the Olympic Highway 50 metres south of the crossing on the northbound lane, but were removed around 2019.
The bridge has faced ongoing criticism since its opening in 2006. It was argued that the steep ascent and descent combined with the sharp junction and no turning lane presents a danger to drivers. Particularly those crossing in trucks, farm machines and other agricultural vehicles that are limited in the speed.[3]
The inquest into the Gerogery level crossing deaths necessarily canvassed a wide variety of issues in road and rail transport. The inquest also examined questions of driver behaviour, notably the common belief that level crossing crashes can often be caused by drivers seeking to "beat the train" and not be delayed in their journey by stopping for a train to pass over the level crossing. Indeed, during the coronial inquiry, evidence given by one train passenger suggested the teenagers had been racing to beat the train through the crossing.[4]
This testimony was strenuously refuted by the families of the boys. At the Coronial Inquest, Coroner Mr Carl Milovanovich said of the allegation:
Rather, the design of the level crossing itself was seen as contributing to the deaths of the five young men. In summing up, Mr Milovanovich stated:[4]
The coroner went on to say:[4]
Since 2001 there has been significant reform to the management of railway level crossings, not only in New South Wales but nationally across Australia. The STAYSAFE Committee of New South Wales Parliament has held two further inquiries, and the Parliament of Australia and the Parliament of Victoria have also conducted parliamentary committee investigations into railway level crossing safety.
The CRC for Rail Innovation is conducting a number of research projects into railway level crossing design, management, and technology. There is also a research program underway to improve driver and other road user behaviour safety at railway level crossings. The CRC for Rail Innovation is a collaborative venture between leading organisations in the Australian rail industry and Australian Universities and is supported by the Commonwealth Government. It is planned that the CRC for Rail Innovation will invest around A$100m in rail industry research over the 2007-2013 period. This makes it the single biggest research program in the history of Australian railways.