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Just another ambulance stuck at a level crossing

Grade separating level crossings has numerous benefits: it allows more trains to run without impacting on others, it cuts delays to motorists, bus/tram passengers, pedestrians (including train users) and cyclists.

And emergency services.

Clayton is particularly bad for this, because it’s so close to Monash Medical Centre, but it’s not uncommon to see ambulances or other vehicles waiting at suburban boom gates… here’s today’s in Bentleigh, a short time ago:

In this case the total delay was perhaps about 2 minutes, while a freight train passed. Hopefully it didn’t make a bad difference at the emergency.

Thankfully Bentleigh is of course one of numerous crossings being grade separated in the next few years. I’m told locals can expect a project update in their mailboxes (real and email) in the next week or two.

By Daniel Bowen

Transport blogger / campaigner and spokesperson for the Public Transport Users Association / professional geek.
Bunurong land, Melbourne, Australia.
Opinions on this blog are all mine.

5 replies on “Just another ambulance stuck at a level crossing”

Another crossing next to a hospital, which ambulances frequently get stuck at, is Old Geelong Rd at Hoppers Crossing. Not on the list at all.

There’s a similar situation with John Fawkner Hospital being 300 metres away from the level crossing adjacent to Moreland Station on the Upfield Line.

Only marginal seats will get any attention. Why would the MP for Hoppers crossing actually work for the residents if they know theyre gonna be voted in next election anyway?

Marginal seats are generally the most significant part of the transport infrastructure calculus, the unabashed cynicism behind the Bayside Rail Project being a good example. Unfortunately the demographics of the safest seats (often heavily disadvantaged and with large immigrant communities) mean that there’s a great inertia in changing this situation. We can only hope that the transport bureaucracy has enough vision to make sure that politics isn’t that only factor considered.

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