All Mt Albert rail crossings will soon be made safer for pedestrians.
Automatic gates, which close as soon as the alarm bells indicate a train is moments away, will be installed at Asquith Ave, Rossgrove Tce, Lloyd Ave and Woodward Rd.
The new devices are already in place at Baldwin station (as pictured) and at Morningside. They are designed to give better protection to pedestrians, especially to children and to distracted people who – often listening to music on their phones – don’t always take the care needed.
Anecdotally, there have been a number of near-misses on the crossings over the past year or two when people apparently plugged into music haven’t heard the electronic bells.
Social media posts had indicated the volume of warning bells would be boosted to overcome the problem, but Auckland Transport has rejected that suggestion.
The new gates will be installed first at Asquith Ave and Rossgrove Tce, with work starting this month and finishing in April. Lloyd Ave and Woodward Rd will be completed by the middle of the year. It’s expected that KiwiRail will undertake the work on behalf of AT.
Bruce Morris
