Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke at the Mary Gilmore Way rail crossing at Bribbaree, where design work has begun on a major safety upgrade. Photo: Steph Cooke.
Design work has begun on a major safety upgrade to a railway crossing on Mary Gilmore Way at Bribbaree, west of Young, following years of community outcry following a series of serious incidents.
Transport for NSW will convert the crossing from passive to active, installing boom gates, flashing LED lights, warning bells and improved signage.
The upgrade represents a significant change for a site long regarded as one of the most challenging level crossings in the region, due to heavy freight traffic, regular vehicle movements and limited visibility.
Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke said the project followed sustained lobbying for stronger safety measures, including calls for guaranteed active protection.
“Locals know this crossing all too well for all the wrong reasons,” Ms Cooke said.
“Earlier this year, I made it clear that securing a full upgrade of this crossing was a priority in 2026.
“It’s extremely encouraging that not only has the minister validated our concerns, but she will be seeking to fast-track this project so that everyone who travels Mary Gilmore Way can get home safely,” she said.
The level crossing on Mary Gilmore Way has been the scene of several serious train and truck collisions in recent years.
In February 2020, a driver from the Riverina town of The Rock was travelling northeast towards Grenfell when his truck collided with the front wagons of a freight train.
That crash resulted in a derailment, but the driver escaped the wreckage.
In December 2022, a second major collision occurred at the same crossing when a prime mover, travelling west on Mary Gilmore Way, collided with an eastbound freight train.
The impact caused the trailer to break away from the prime mover. The truck driver – a man aged 50 – was not injured.
These collisions happened just kilometres away from a private rail crossing on Eurabba Station, where two Grenfell men lost their lives on 23 February 2021.
Ethan Hunter, 27, and work colleague Mark Fenton, 50, were transporting gypsum on the property when the B-double they were travelling in collided with a freight train.
In 2023, the Bribbaree crossing was selected for a technology trial to improve driver awareness.
The trial installed radar-activated LED stop signs and additional warning signage, designed to alert drivers who may not be slowing as they approach the tracks.
Ms Cooke said the trial did not go far enough.
“Activating the crossing is the only way to give the community confidence in its safety,” she said, describing the earlier measures as a “band-aid solution” for a high-risk location.
While the newly announced upgrade progresses through design, interim safety measures are being rolled out.
These include rumble strips on the road approach, a review of warning signage and investigations into photoluminescent line markings to improve visibility in low-light conditions.
The existing radar-activated stop sign system will remain in place and may be enhanced using emerging technologies, including machine learning, to better detect driver behaviour.
Ms Cooke said the crossing’s location on a key freight route made the upgrade particularly important.
“There’s still work ahead to see this project delivered, but this is a huge step forward and a sign that safety is finally being taken seriously by the NSW Government,” she said.
“The community can take comfort that this dangerous crossing will finally get the protections it needs in both the short-term and long-term.”
Mayor of Weddin Shire Council Paul Best welcomed both the interim safety measures and the long-term upgrade as a positive step for the community.
“I’m very pleased to see further risk mitigation measures being put in place while a permanent solution is developed,” Cr Best said.
“Given the serious risks this crossing poses to both road users and rail operators, it’s encouraging to see action being taken,” he said.
“I’d like to thank the community members who have consistently advocated for improvements to level crossings in our region.
“I also want to acknowledge ARTC and Transport for NSW for working with the council to make this crossing safer for everyone.”
The project is being jointly funded by Transport for NSW and the Australian Rail Track Corporation, with design work expected to be completed by the end of the 2025–26 financial year.
Construction of the active crossing infrastructure will be fast-tracked once current projects under the Regional Level Crossing Upgrade Fund are completed.
