Pedestrian gates will be placed at the Carmen Rd in Hornby railway crossing in a bid to make it safer for school children.
The safety improvement has been welcomed by the community. A New Zealand Transport Agency spokeswoman said it will be a “big boost” for safety.
The work is part of a $26 million nationwide project, commissioned by NZTA and KiwiRail, to deliver safety improvements at level crossings across New Zealand.
Hornby High School principal Robin Sutton said anything to make the crossing safer is a good step.
“I do think railway lines in general and teenagers are often not a good combination,” he said.
Mr Sutton said while the crossing is a safety issue for everyone, teenagers don’t understand a train can’t stop as quickly as a vehicle and they often listen to music while walking to the school.
This makes the crossing even more dangerous for them.
Hornby resident Mark Peters expressed the same view. He said the improvements are a “huge step forward” as young people often have their headphones in when using the crossing.
He said having a barrier in place to make young people aware of the crossing is a good idea. “You get a fair bit of pedestrian traffic through the crossing. When trains go through there they do tend to be doing a fair rate of knots,” Mr Peters said.
Hornby Primary School principal Gary Roberts and resident Marc Duff also endorsed the initiative. “Anything that is an improvement for the children has got to be good for the community,” Mr Duff said.
Mr Roberts said the pedestrian gates are a “marvellous move” as Carmen Rd and the railway crossing are very busy. But he wasn’t sure whether children from Hornby Primary will be affected by the changes as he does not know how many pupils use the
crossing.
