Passengers are urged to be vigilant around Donnybrook Station following a rise in illegal and dangerous behaviour.
V/Line’s executive director safety, sustainability and risk Josef Brennan said there had been a significant rise in people ignoring warning signals, running around the closed pedestrian crossing and boom gates and across tracks to catch a train at Donnybrook Station.
“The safety of the community is paramount and it’s extremely concerning to see an increase in people running around activated boom gates to cross the tracks and attempt to catch a train,” Mr Brennan said.
“This type of reckless behaviour is alarming and incredibly dangerous because trains can come from either direction at any time of day and night.”
Mr Brennan said in some instances, trains had been arriving into the station while pedestrians were running around the boom gates and across the tracks.
In one frightening incident, a pedestrian ignored the closed pedestrian crossing and attempted to cross the Albury Line track, only to notice at the last minute the train was travelling express through the station and narrowly avoided being hit.
“Passengers should allow extra time to ensure they are not rushing for a train because the consequences of risky behaviour around the railway can be deadly,” Mr Brennan said.
“At level crossings, please always obey the signs and be patient. It’s never worth risking your life to catch a train.”
The Donnybrook Road level crossing services V/Line trains on the Seymour, Shepparton and Albury lines, as well as the Melbourne to Sydney express passenger train and freight trains, so trains can come from either direction at any time.
There has been a sharp rise in reported incidents involving near hits between pedestrians and trains at Donnybrook Station over the past two years.
So far this year, there have been 25 reported incidents along the north-east corridor, with 16 of those taking place at Donnybrook Station.
V/Line and the City of Whittlesea recently installed fencing along part of the rail corridor to discourage passengers from crossing the tracks. Authorised officers will also have an increased presence at the station, especially during morning peak services.
