A mother whose daughter died at a Mount Maunganui rail crossing says it is a sad but “good day for our town” after safety improvements were installed at the crossing.
Jorja-Ray Smith, 11, died after she was struck by a train at the Hewletts Rd pedestrian level crossing while biking home from Mount Maunganui Intermediate School on July 31.
Her parents, Te Paea and Ray Smith, spoke to the Bay of Plenty Times at the time, saying Jorja Ray was a “precious gift” and a “special angel that came for a brief visit”.
In August, Te Paea Smith called for safety improvements at the crossing, including barriers for pedestrians and cyclists, “zig-zag” railing and a timetable change for trains travelling through the area.
“I just don’t want another child to be killed there,” she said at the time.
On Friday, Smith told the Bay of Plenty Times she and her whānau had attended a karakia (blessing) that morning marking the completion of new safety improvements.
A paved and fenced “pedestrian maze” has been installed at the crossing and new fencing has been added to deter crossing at other areas along the track.
Smith said the council, KiwiRail, NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and the people who constructed the maze and fencing attended.
“They held the trains back the whole time we were there.”
After the karakia, they asked Smith if it was okay to let the trains go.
“As soon as he got the okay, he let a train go and we stood there to watch the barriers work.
“The guys who built it – they didn’t want anyone to use it until we’d had a karakia so I thought that was nice of them too.
“We’re still very hurt and it’s a sad day but a good day for our town.”
An NZTA Waka Kotahi media release said the safety improvements had been completed at the “busy” intersection and were implemented after Jorja-Ray’s death.
A blessing was held with Ngāti Kuku and Ngāti Tukairanga hapū on Friday morning, it said.
NZTA Waikato and Bay of Plenty regional relationships director David Speirs said the pedestrian maze was a “specially designed walkway” to slow people down before they walked over the tracks, prompting them to look up and down the track before crossing.
KiwiRail chief of operations Siva Sivapakkiam said Jorja-Ray’s death was “very traumatic” for everyone involved, especially for the whānau.
“This is a busy section of the rail network, and the changes that have been made at the crossing, along with some new fencing along the corridor, will help ensure the safety of the Tauranga community.”
NZTA, KiwiRail and the council would continue working on the long-term plan to increase safety at the crossing.
Further improvements to the crossing were proposed in the wider Connecting Mount Maunganui project. NZTA was working with council and iwi on boosting travel choices and improving safety, travel time reliability and environmental outcomes, the release said.
“While these solutions all require significant investment and time, we all wanted to do something that would make an immediate improvement to people’s safety at the crossing,” Speirs said.
“This pedestrian maze will make a difference.”