The boom gate at a level crossing where a driver was killed after colliding with an express passenger train was too short to meet Australian standards, a report has found.
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The fatal collision in Brisbane's east in February involved the driver of a small hatchback who was unfamiliar with the area and likely using a GPS, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau's ongoing investigation found.
It noted no formal interface agreement to manage risk at the crossing between Queensland Rail and the Brisbane City Council.
The driver intended to turn right at a T-intersection and pass through the level crossing before turning left on the other side of the railway, the report said.
A car ahead of the hatchback turned right as the crossing's lights were flashing and crossed the railway as the boom gates were already lowering.
The driver of the hatchback then had to pause and give way to two other vehicles.
"The driver of the second of these vehicles observed the boom barrier was horizontal and saw a train approaching as they turned," the report said.
"After turning, they noticed in their rear-vision mirrors the hatchback had moved off and was approaching the crossing. They witnessed the car pass onto the level crossing and collide with the train."
The hatchback was destroyed and the sole occupant killed. No other injuries were reported.
CCTV footage showed the boom was lowered for about 10 seconds before the hatchback passed on to the crossing.
The report found there was a gap of 3.1 metres between the edge of a median island on the road and the tip of the lowered boom barrier.
The relevant Australian standard states "boom barriers shall extend to the dividing line or centre of a roadway".
Queensland Rail advised that prior to the accident, the last assessment of the Kianawah Rd level crossing was conducted in 2002.
Separately, the report notes a requirement for an agreement between the rail infrastructure manager and the road manager be in place to outline the shared responsibility for safety at level crossings.
"While this requirement had come into place in Queensland in 2012, no interface agreement had been formalised at the time of the accident," it said.
QR has advised the ATSB it has since formalised an interface agreement with Brisbane City Council encompassing all level crossings within the council area.
It stated engineering activities to trial usage of a longer boom barrier for the northern side of the crossing had begun.
Australian Associated Press
