The death last year of an Auckland teen who was hit by a train while wearing headphones has helped prompt the Government to spend $7.6 million on pedestrian safety measures at rail crossings.
Transport Minister Phil Twyford announced the cash injection this morning. It will go towards automatic pedestrian gates at 11 more Auckland crossings.
It comes as officials have cited over 100 near-miss incidents between pedestrians and trains in just 12 months in the Auckland region.
Keenan Matthes, 16, was hit by a train last year while jogging with headphones.
"There have been too many stories of people getting hurt or killed by trains in Auckland," Mr Twyford said in a statement. "We know that installing automatic gates at rail crossings saves lives."
Two automatic pedestrian gates have already been installed in Glen Eden and Rānui, and there hasn't been a near miss at those crossings since then, he said.
Mr Twyford said today that he wanted to "pay tribute" to the family of Keenan Matthes, who advocated for safer crossings after the 16-year-old was hit and killed by a train that he didn't hear while listening to music on his morning run.
The daughter of a woman killed by a train hopes an awareness campaign will save lives.
"We're trying to make sure that no other family will have to experience the same heartbreak," he said. "This work is especially important given that there are newer, quieter trains going more frequently, meaning more chances for accidents."
When a train approaches the upgraded crossings, there will now be a bell sound, flashing red alarm lights and the automatically closing gate.
Four more crossings - at St Georges Road, Chalmers Street, St Judes, Portage Road - are scheduled to be in service by June. Crossings at Te Mahia, Spartan Road, Takanini, Manuroa, Walters Road, Taka St and Tirnoui Rd are set to be completed next fiscal year.
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