Crossing call- Pakenham mother Jennifer Phillips pushes daughter Jasmine across the railway li

By Melissa Grant
CONCERNED residents are again rallying for a rail pedestrian crossing at McGregor Road, Pakenham, but their calls may go unanswered for at least 12 months.
They fear someone may get hit by a train if a new crossing along the railway isn’t constructed soon; however civic leaders say there is nothing they can do to bring construction forward.
An upgrade of pedestrian crossings, with boom gates, are proposed on both sides of the road as part of the second stage of the McGregor Road duplication project, expected to start in the next financial year.
Meanwhile, residents have again pleaded with authorities to do something before someone gets hurt.
Garry Tatnell said he had seen a woman with a pram struggle to negate the railway line because of the absence of a designated crossing on the western side.
“I saw a woman coming down with a pram, I don’t know how she got across – the pram got stuck and there was a train coming from the other way. She gave the pram a yank and got it out,” he said.
Mother of three Jennifer Phillips, who walks over the tracks twice each school day, said it was too dangerous to access the existing rail crossing on the opposite side of the road.
“You still have to cross all these roads and they are unguarded,” she said.
“It’s too dangerous – I only cross McGregor Road if I absolutely have to.”
Cardinia Shire mayor Bill Pearson said the council was hoping to widen the railway area and install crossings on both sides as part of the duplication project.
However, he said this would be very expensive and the council was looking to secure funds in the next State Government budget.
Councillor Collin Ross understood the upgrade would cost in the vicinity of $2 million and urged residents to be patient.
“One of the most frustrating things is people think ‘I have the money, I will ring up now, I want it and I’ll get it’. A lot of people don’t understand that’s not the way of the bureaucratic world we live in,” he said.
“Even if we had $2 million now… it won’t be any quicker than the process in place.
“If it’s not budgeted they’re not going to get it.”
Eastern Victoria MP Edward O’Donohue said he would raise the need for a rail crossing in parliament next week.
Mr O’Donohue, who met with residents at the site yesterday, said Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky needed to give the project full priority.
However, Cr Pearson said residents would have to sit tight while the duplication proceeded. He said there were no interim measures the council could put in place to improve pedestrian safety at the railway line.
“If we could, we would,” he said.
“Sometime next year is all we can say at this stage.”