WA Liberal leader Libby Mettam throws support behind RailFail Campaign

WA Liberal leader Libby Mettam has called on the Cook Government to push for mandated train lighting after she pledged support to a grassroots campaign spearheaded by families who have lost loved ones at level crossing accidents. Ms Mettam was joined by Liberal colleagues North West Central MLA Merome Beard, Mining and Pastoral Region MLC Neil Thomson and candidate for Swan Mic Fels on November 29 to publicly back the RailFail campaign, which launched in October. Ms Mettam applauded the efforts of RailFail spokeswoman and Murchison pastoralist Lara Jensen and rail safety researcher Brett Hughes. “This is about minimum standards for train illumination,” Ms Mettam said. “This is about saving lives on our roads and, in particular, at railway crossings.” Ms Mettam said almost 80 per cent of Australian level crossings were passive with no boom gates. She called on the Cook Labor Government to also throw its support behind RailFail. The campaign is pushing for the Federal Government to legislate mandatory train and rolling stock lighting and to ensure that rail corporations install “proper” safety measures at all rural and regional rail crossings across Australia. Between July 2014 and December 2022, there were 7839 near-hits, 322 collisions, 39 fatalities and 49 serious injuries at level crossings nationwide, according to figures from the Federal Government’s National Level Crossing Safety Strategy. Australia has had on average 37 deaths annually from level crossing accidents over the past six years. Ms Mettam’s endorsement comes not long after Merome Beard showed support for the RailFail campaign in her members statement in Parliament on November 14. “Despite countless tragedies and coronial recommendations, little has been achieved in convincing government to implement compulsory lighting standards for trains,” Ms Beard said. “RailFail is a David and Goliath fight, with families fuelled by a determination to protect others from the same pain. “We owe it to all Australians to support their call for reform and make rail crossings safer across our nation.” The campaign follows more than two decades of advocating from the likes of Ms Jensen, who lost her brother and two friends when a loaded grain train struck her brother’s Toyota at a passive level-crossing near Jennacubbine in 2000. The incident happened when it was dark. Then-WA coroner Alastair Hope concluded none of the occupants of the vehicle saw the oncoming train, leading to him recommending all locomotives be fitted with external lighting in addition to ditch lighting to warn motorists. Ms Jensen applauded Ms Mettam’s support and renewed her calls for both the State and Federal Government to implement mandatory lighting standards. “This campaign is really about accountability and responsibility and we want them (the politicians) to step up ... we want rail operators to, but they’re not going to do that without the intervention of legislation,” she said.