Safety Issue

The Australian Rail Track Corporation had not been approached as part of the SA Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure's (DTEI) process of issuing Heavy Vehicle Permits for routine 'fixed term' Restricted Access Vehicle operations. Consequently, the process may preclude the opportunity to determine all risks associated with a railway level crossing, or identify changes to a railway level crossing risk profile that may have occurred over a period of time.

Safety recommendation

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau recommends that the Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure take further action to address this safety issue.

• Non general access vehicles, such as B-Doubles, can access parts of the road network if provided with an exemption from the mass and / or dimension limits of the Road Traffic Act by a permit or through a general exemption via a government gazette notice.
• Under the Department's Heavy Vehicle Access Framework, which was updated in April 2009 (see www.transport.sa.gov.au), exemptions by permit are now only being provided in limited circumstances, generally on a one off basis.
• DTEI is currently reviewing all routes where permits are being used to provide access over level crossings. The objective of this review is to identify works required to upgrade the route so that there is no longer a need to issue permits for access but to have the route exemption provided by government gazette notice subject to rail authority agreement.
• In addition, DTEI currently undertakes a rolling level crossing survey and assessment program which sees each individual crossing re-assessed approximately once every three years. Any issues that are found during the assessment process is brought to the attention of the relevant infrastructure manager.
• In relation to Stirling Street, DTEI has worked with the ARTC to ensure all issues have been addressed. DTEI is currently in the process of securing ARTC agreement to have route gazetted thereby eliminating the need for permits.