Wairarapa killer crossing to get safety upgrade

Rumble strips are to be installed at a rural Carterton railway crossing which has claimed two lives in little over a decade.

Crossing safety campaigner Janine Vollebregt said yesterday she was thrilled at the decision by Carterton District Council to bolster the safety of the Wiltons Rd crossing.

In June, Mrs Vollebregt got a discussion started between KiwiRail, the council and the community about the crossing, where two young people have died.

In May 2002, Carterton man Daniel Quin was killed when he drove his ute into the side of a train.

In February this year, Carterton schoolgirl Grace Ellen Diedrichs, 15, died when the ute in which she was a passenger collided with a southbound commuter train.

Mrs Vollebregt began campaigning for the crossing to be upgraded in 2002, after the first death.

Although flashing lights and bells were the preferred option, she said it was a "relief something was being done".

"I guess it's a wait and see, a caution to drivers to be really vigorous. We just hope we never have to ramp up the campaign again.

"Let's hope that this is what it needs."

At a Carterton District Council meeting, councillors decided unanimously to have roading staff install rumble strips.

Chief executive Colin Wright said lights and bells would cost about $120,000 to install, whereas rumble strips would cost "a few thousand".

"There were various solutions discussed by the residents, but council had quite a discussion about it and decided that the rumble strips would be worth doing.

"The idea is by putting in rumble strips it will alert people that there is something different approaching, if they are day-dreaming or something like that," Mr Wright said.

He said the dimensions of the strips was being worked out and installation would follow soon after, in a matter of weeks.

"We think it will be a good solution but will find out when it's in and see how effective it is," Mr Wright said.

"The general feeling is that people are driving along there so regularly they're used to it and not noticing there is a railway line.

"So if there's something different they might think 'gosh we've got to look out for trains'."

"It's being done to prevent any more accidents. [There is] also a feeling around the council table that, at the end of the day, it is the responsibility of drivers to pay attention."