The heritage listed manual railway gates at New St Brighton are said to be slated for removal. The grand plan appears to be that the crossing will be ripped up, the manual gates and the pedestrian gates will be replaced by automatic pedestrian only gates. The crossing set will be rebuilt somewhere else as a static display.

The heritage number is H0269. The heritage entry for the gates is http://vhd.heritage.vic.gov.au/places/heritage/14419

This view shows the manual pedestrian gates that continue to be in use and handled by the signalman on duty. These gates are interlocked with the signals. When the gates are unlocked the signals in both directions are red. Once locked the signals display green. The signalman at the gates listens to his annunciators that indicate which direction a train is about to arrive from. He then locks the gates and activates the signals.

A view towards the crossing. I had a lot of trouble with the white balance under these lights.

This is a train proceeding through the crossing. Note this isn't a SPAD for you smart arses out there. The signal was green before the train got there!

Heritage Victoria

Department of Planning and Community Development
Level 4, 55 Collins St, Melbourne, VIC 3000.
PO Box 2392, Melbourne, VIC 3001.

T: (03) 8644 8800
F: (03) 8644 8951
E:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

Official statement from Heritage Victoria

NEW STREET RAIL CROSSING
In 2007 Heritage Victoria received a permit application from the rail 
operator to have the New Street crossing gates permanently fixed in the 
‘closed to road traffic’ position, that is, in the ‘open to railway 
traffic’ position.
After being processed as required under the requirements of the Heritage 
Act 1995 the permit was granted. The Heritage Act primarily protects 
significant fabric and the permit as granted involved minimal change to 
this. 
This proposal did not involve any obvious physical changes to the gates 
except for their being securely fixed across the road in the ‘closed to 
road vehicles’ position to avoid them being moved.
The rail operator sought this permit due occupational health and safety 
requirements and Heritage Victoria has no authority to require a 
particular mode of operation to continue at any heritage place. 
The rail operator is aware that approval for closure of road traffic is 
vested in either the local council (local roads) or VicRoads (main roads) 
and could not be done unilaterally. 
Heritage Victoria has not yet been advised of the result of subsequent 
discussions between the authorities responsible for the road/rail 
intersection.
A second permit application has been submitted to Heritage Victoria, but 
is on hold pending a decision on the road closure.
If the road cannot be closed, a permit will need to be sought by the rail 
operator for relocation of the gates a short distance along the rail 
tracks to clear them from road and rail traffic, where they would be fixed 
in position as evidence of the original means of level crossing control. 

Jim Gard’ner
Executive Director
Heritage Victoria