Train crossing accidents can be avoided

A woman remains in a critical condition in Auckland Hospital after being hit by a freight train on the crossing in Morningside just after 9am yesterday. Disability strategic advisory group chair Huhana Hickey said, "the local community has been up in arms about the crossing even after its apparent upgrade in 2011". "It's the busiest railway crossing, so they [Auckland Transport and Kiwirail] knew all this; they knew something would happen. Do we have to wait for this poor women to die before anything will happen?" The incident was indicative of wider problems with Auckland's public transport infrastructure which could be difficult and dangerous for disabled people, she said. Local board member Graeme Easte is calling out to Auckland City Council & Auckland Transport to "progressively remove these at grade crossings & replace them with grade separated crossings".