Victorians are being urged to be safe around trains and at level crossings, with more than 250 near hits with pedestrians and vehicles recorded on the V/Line network in the past 12 months.
There were 194 near hits with pedestrians over the past year, up more than 55 per cent on last year.
Of the near hits, 35 were at level crossings, while others occurred when passengers took shortcuts to get to trains.
There were 48 near hits involving pedestrians on the south-west corridor, while the northern corridor saw 44 reported incidents.
There were 53 near hits involving vehicles, with 15 in both the western and northern regions, which was the most recorded. This is up from 38 near hits in 2023/24.
Collisions and near hits on the rail network put lives at risk, severely disrupt rail services and traffic flow, and have serious impacts on train drivers and other rail workers, along with the wider community.
Acting V/Line CEO Warwick Horsley said no journey was worth risking your life for.
“Always obey the signs and signals at level crossings – they are there to protect you,” he said.
“The consequences of rail incidents can be catastrophic, causing severe and lasting trauma to passengers, V/Line staff and communities.”
