Level crossing safety

Interface Agreements

The Rail Safety National Law (RSNL) sets requirements on the establishment of interface agreements between rolling stock operators, rail infrastructure managers and road managers to manage risks to safety at road and rail crossings so far as is reasonably practicable. Penalties may apply to rail transport operators and road managers who breach their requirements at a rail or road crossing.

The specific responsibilities of each are described in sections 106-108 of the RSNL. Rail or road crossings include but are not limited to:

• a level crossing;
• an area where a road and a tramway meet at substantially the same level, where there is no level crossing sign on the road at all or any of the entrances to the area;
• an area where a footpath or shared path crosses a tramway at substantially the same level, where there is no level crossing sign on the path at all or any of the entrances to the area;
• a bridge carrying a road over a railway;
• a bridge carrying a railway over a road; or
• a lane of a road on which rolling stock moves alongside road vehicles on the road.

Download the interface agreement template and fact sheets - available in the right hand panel.

National Level Crossing Safety Strategy

The National Level Crossing Safety Strategy 2023-2032 was developed by the National Level Crossing Safety Committee (NLCSC), of which ONRSR is a member organisation.

The strategy represents a collaborative national approach to reducing fatalities and injuries across Australia’s level crossings with a vision of zero harm. Its objectives include:

• Improving level crossing user behaviour through public education and enforcement.
• Leveraging opportunities from emerging technology and innovations.
• Identifying opportunities for early, low-cost and effective safety improvements.
• Supporting the development of improved data and knowledge on level crossings.
• Increasing coordination and knowledge sharing by those responsible for level crossing safety.

For more information on the strategy and three-year work plan, visit the website of the Queensland Department Transport and Main Roads which provides the NLCSC’s Program Management Office.

At the conclusion of the National Level Crossing Roundtable in early 2024, 10 actions were identified as integral to delivering short-, medium- and long-term level crossing safety benefits in addition to actions under the National Level Crossing Strategy. They were assigned to multiple agencies and cover topics such as driver education, camera technology, the code of practice for train visibility, better use of telematics and data, a review of the road and rail manager agreements, and a renewed investigation into penalties for drivers who disobey road rules at level crossings.

ONRSR Level Crossing Safety Program 2026-2029

Under its Rail Safety Regulation Model, ONRSR adopts a programmatic approach to delivering regulatory activities to address accreditation, critical and emerging risks and safety improvement. ONRSR intends for each of these safety improvement and compliance programs to be evidence-based, have agreed performance measures, and be regularly monitored. The success of each program will be evaluated and publicly reported.

These programs are supported by complementary internal activities to increase ONRSR’s capability and capacity to ensure best practice and cost-efficient regulatory service delivery.

ONRSR’s Level Crossing Safety Program 2026-2029 comprises a range of initiatives designed to educate rail infrastructure managers (RIM), rolling stock operators (RSO) and road managers about level crossing safety risks and to monitor their compliance with the obligations under the Rail Safety National Law.

They are categorised under four Focus Areas:

1. Focus Area: National Coordination

ONRSR is an active member of the National Level Crossing Safety Committee (NLCSC) where it works alongside Commonwealth and State Government transport agencies, the rail and road industries and local government.

Deliverables

• Support development and promotion of the national education campaign
• Continue to contribute to the work of the NLCSC
• Continue to improve and promote use of the National Level Crossing Portal (NLXP) and data insights
• Actively participate in the Rail Safety National Law reform process

2. Focus Area: Best Practice Compliance with Rail Safety National Law

ONRSR developed the approved Code Of Practice for Train Visibility at Level Crossings as a minimum standard for rail transport operators to manage risks to safety arising from their rail operations at level crossings. The Code of Practice provides a practical approach for meeting the requirements of the RSNL regarding the management of safety risks and hazards relating to:

• Level crossing protection controls
• Traffic control devices
• Lines of sight
• Train conspicuity.

Deliverables

• Update ONRSR’s advice and guidance material
• Audits and inspections to monitor compliance with the Code of Practice - Train [JL1] Visibility at Level Crossings
• Increased education to road managers about their obligations under Rail Safety National Law
• Address serious or ongoing non-compliance

3. Focus Area: Reducing Risks from Heavy Vehicles

Heavy vehicles make up only 2% of the road vehicle fleet but are involved in a disproportionately high number of level crossing collisions nationally. An Australian Transport Safety Bureau 2024 Safety Study [JL2] confirmed the increased risk posed by level crossing collisions involving heavy vehicles and found that interventions targeted at heavy vehicles are likely to provide significant improvements to level crossing safety overall.

Deliverables

• Strengthen ONRSR’s relationship with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator
• Increased involvement of rail infrastructure managers in decisions about heavy vehicle access
• Develop guidance material for managing heavy vehicle risks at level crossings
  

4. Focus Area: Level Crossing Insights and Knowledge

Actively integrating findings from investigations, emerging industry research and technological innovations into daily operations, will ensure that identification and treatment of level crossing risks continues to improve.

Deliverables

• Promote the importance of human factors in level crossing safety management
• Develop insights from new technologies including traffic control devices and train conspicuity
• Determine causal and contributing factors arising from investigations

Evaluation

ONRSR is committed to evaluating the effectiveness of these programs. We use a mix of formal and informal mechanisms and data sources to gather feedback, including:

• Reduction in level crossing incidents
• Improved Interface Agreement Coverage
• Adoption of Code of Practice
• Heavy Vehicle Incident Reduction
• RIM involvement in HV access decisions.