V/LINE is warning Victorians to take care near level crossings.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The warning comes in time for the busy Australia Day long weekend and comes after four near misses between trains and vehicles in the past week.
The incidents occurred in Morwell, Colac, Dandenong and Clayton but V/Line chief executive Officer Theo Taifalos is calling on all Victorians to stay safe.
“With Victorians heading out of Melbourne for the long weekend and then returning at the end of summer school holidays, V/Line does not want to be involved in a tragic loss of life," he said.
“I urge everybody to be vigilant when approaching level crossings, even if they think they know the train timetable.”
Mr Taifalos said safety was his number one priority in the operation of the regional train network.
“Everybody has a right to be safe, including our staff and customers, pedestrians and motorists,” he said.
“We work as hard as we can to ensure everybody who interacts with us is always safe, but safety is also a personal responsibility.
“Rail crossing accidents are not only traumatic for survivors and families of people killed, but also for train crew and passengers.”
As part of V/Line’s “Don’t push your X-ing luck” safety campaign, motorists are reminded that drivers can be fined $722 and lose four demerit points for entering a railway crossing while a train is approaching.