Dramatic bridge and protection beam strikes caught on camera have been released by Queensland Rail in a fresh push to educate drivers about the dangers of not being aware of the height and load of their vehicles, following a recent bridge strike that halted trains for a week.
Queensland Rail Head of South East Queensland Scott Riedel said the message “Size Matters – Know Your Trucking Height" was more important than ever, after damage caused by a collision with the Brockhurst Road rail bridge at Nambour last month.
“Queensland Rail immediately began work to rectify this issue. However, the bridge strike meant that rail traffic on the Sunshine Coast line was halted between Yandina and Nambour for seven days," Mr Riedel said.
“All because of the actions of one driver, hundreds of customers were impacted and vital freight services, as well as our Travel Train services, were disrupted.
“Brockhurst Road, under that bridge, now needs to remain closed until at least early June while repairs are underway and that's a huge inconvenience to local residents too.
“We need to use this incident to educate truck drivers about how dangerous hitting our bridges can be and how your actions can affect so many people.
“Please plan your route in advance and know your trucking height. If you are involved in, or witness a bridge strike, it should be immediately reported to us using the telephone number on the identification plate fixed to the bridge or by calling Emergency Network Control on 1800 079 303."
Mr Riedel said last year (2022), 60 bridge strikes were recorded across Queensland Rail's network – a reduction of 12 from the previous year (2021), which saw 72.
“Between January to 31 March 2023 there have been 16 bridge strikes with the most frequently hit bridges being Dunlop Terrace at Corinda, Park Road at Yeronga, William Berry Drive at Morayfield and Rosebed Street at Eudlo; each with two strikes," he said.
“It's too many. Every single bridge and beam strike is avoidable. Our message is clear: know the height and load of your vehicle and steer clear of rail bridges where your vehicle is over height.
“Among the CCTV we've released today is a particularly frightening strike involving a tow truck carrying cars at Countess Street last August that caused major road traffic issues for hours."
Mr Riedel said every low clearance bridge was fitted with signage with many featuring extra preventative measures ranging from protection beams to height chimes.
“We've invested $15.5 million to install bridge protection beams on approach to 14 high priority bridges across South East Queensland to prevent over-height vehicles from colliding with the bridge and minimise train delays," he said.
"Queensland Rail has also installed 44 bridge impact detection systems across the SEQ network, with sensors and CCTV cameras which automatically detect incidents and alert Queensland Rail for a speedy response, including remote inspections.
“We have now installed a temporary camera at the Nambour site and once the road is reopened to vehicle traffic we will make that surveillance permanent.
"Motorists who damage rail infrastructure can be fined up to $1,150 and four demerit points and if the matter goes to court the maximum penalty for causing damage to rail infrastructure is 80 penalty units (approximately $11,500)."
Queensland Rail has rolled out a refreshed bridge strike campaign across the South-East, targeting both professional drivers of high vehicles and those who drive caravans or rental trucks.
ENDS