Auckland (The NZ Today)
A Green Party announcement on rail safety was dramatically interrupted in Auckland on Monday when a car drove through the Morningside level crossing while the barrier was down and a train was approaching.
Green co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick stopped mid-sentence as the vehicle crossed the tracks only moments before the train passed.
The train sounded its horn as it approached, while Swarbrick and fellow co-leader Marama Davidson reacted to what they had just witnessed.
The incident happened as the Greens were announcing a policy to remove level crossings along Auckland’s Western Line, arguing the crossings create both safety risks and delays as train frequencies increase.
Swarbrick pointed to the near-miss as an immediate example of the problem the party says it wants to address.
The Greens are backing the removal or replacement of the Western Line crossings through options such as bridges, underpasses or alternative routes, depending on the location.
Auckland Transport is already developing an investment case for 21 remaining level crossings between Kingsland and Swanson, with planning under way for how they could be progressively removed or replaced.
AT says the work is needed because future increases in train frequency would otherwise mean barriers staying down more often, creating longer delays and greater safety risks for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists.
The Greens say the wider programme could cost between $2.5 billion and $3.5 billion, although final options and funding arrangements have not yet been settled.
The party argues removing the crossings would also allow more frequent train services on the Western Line once additional capacity is required in the 2030s.
Auckland Transport says the Western Line programme remains at the planning and investment-case stage, with community consultation already carried out on several inner-west crossings including Morningside.
The Greens have not specified one uniform solution for every crossing, saying final designs should be worked through with Auckland Council, Auckland Transport and affected communities.
Source: Green Party announcement; Auckland Transport and additional reporting by NZ Herald.
