PEAK-hour traffic in Werribee was thrown into chaos last Wednesday afternoon after a freight train carriage derailed at Cherry Street crossing.
Boom gates were down and motorists banked up in the rain for more than four hours as congestion pushed back to Watton Street, Princes Highway and Duncans Road.
The incident has renewed pressure on the state government to separate road and trail traffic at the notorious crossing which lobbyists say been a “major congestion point” for years.
Wyndham’s Leading Senior Constable David Cations said the Melbourne-bound Pacific National train ground to a halt on approaching the crossing after one of its carriages derailed about 3.45pm. He said steel beams on the carriage had broken and could have caused damage to the track.
Senior Constable Cations said the closure of the crossing in both directions caused a traffic backlog across the suburb. The crossing reopened after 7pm.
Tarneit Labor MP Tim Pallas said level crossings at Cherry Street and at Werribee and Cottrell streets were among the worst in Victoria.
“Given the limitations for alternative movements around those areas, they are major congestion points,” he said.
‘‘The government needs to be transparent about its investment in level crossings. It constantly boasts about a level-crossing elimination strategy, but the only places they’re interested in are their own seats.”
In April this year, train drivers ranked the Cherry Street crossing in a list of the 10 most-dangerous level crossings.
The crossing was the scene of a fatality in May last year when a freight train collided with a 65-year-old woman’s car.
Road safety advocate and former Wyndham mayor Kim McAliney said it was time the crossing was “grade-separated” to improve safety and reduce road congestion.
Public Transport Victoria said it was waiting for investigations into the fatality to finish before deciding whether to make a case for separating Cherry Street.
A spokeswoman said the crossing was fully protected with flashing lights, bells and boom gates.
