Watch: Near-miss on level crossing as Greens announce rail safety policy

Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick was stopped in her tracks during a press conference on rail safety this morning as a car raced through a level crossing, despite the safety barrier being down and lights flashing.

The car was just seconds ahead of the train – so close the train tooted at the car.

“Did you see that? That was someone driving across the crossing as the train was coming,” Swarbrick yelled as the car came through.

Pointing at the train passing through, she said: “This is case in point of why we need to remove these level crossings.”

“That’s really dangerous,” co-leader Marama Davidson added.

The Green MPs were at the Morningside level crossing to announce a plan to remove level crossings on Auckland’s Western Line.

The work is costed at $2.5-$3.5 billion and is currently unfunded, although Auckland Council is consulting on options and taking public feedback.

The Greens say removing the crossings also means Auckland Transport can run more than 12 trains an hour on the Western Line, which it currently cannot do.

Between 2013 and 2023, almost 70 crashes, more than 250 pedestrian near-misses and 100 vehicle near-misses occurred at level crossings across Auckland city.

• Green's Julie Anne Genter on the party's transport policies
• Greens calling for donations cap and register of lobbyists in new policy
• Greens promise to nationalise 120 supermarkets, costing $2.8 billion
• Greens say Public Service Commissioner ‘out of step’ for ordering removal of Change the Government postcards

The Green Party says removing the rail crossings also reduces congestion. Currently, during peak-hour traffic, the barriers are down for about 30% of the time, causing delays for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.

The party says it’s not deciding what options are best for each level crossing, but will work with the council on what option is best for each community.

As the Herald reported in August, 21 rail level crossings across West Auckland are set to be ripped up and replaced – at a cost of $2.5b to $3.5b.

Auckland Transport is proposing to replace the crossings on the Western Line to allow even more frequent trains on the City Rail Link and recently began consulting with the public on the issue.

“We’re doing the planning work now to be ready for growing passenger numbers, which are expected to require more frequent trains in the mid-2030s from Mount Albert towards the city centre,” Auckland Transport head of level crossings Tom Willetts said in late August.

“If these crossings are not replaced, they will become a constraint on rail services or result in more frequent barrier arm closures, longer delays and increased safety risks for everyone crossing the tracks.

Willetts said traffic on lines in Auckland’s inner west will increase from 12 to 24 trains per hour (both directions) sometime between 2031 and 2041.

“We are looking at how it might impact communities, how it might benefit them, what we need to consider in terms of the delivery process and how it might impact them once it was in operation. We can consider all that as part of deciding on what the preferred option is going to be,” he said.

The level crossings run from Kingsland to Mt Albert, as part of a wider programme to separate rail lines from vehicles and pedestrians.

Depending on the location and community feedback, the options will include new road or pedestrian bridges, underpasses or closing the crossing with an improved alternative route.

Katie Bradford is a Senior Correspondent at the Herald. She has been a broadcast journalist for over 20 years and was based in the press gallery for 10 years. She specialises in politics, business and Auckland issues.