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The heritage-style swing gates on Lydiard Street were destroyed on the night of May 30, and 12 months later, the street is still closed.
It took until the start of May this year for the state government to commit $10.5 million to reopen the street and install boom gates as an interim solution, expected to be in place by September.
This immediately infuriated heritage advocates, who have been calling for the heritage-gates to be restored.
Over the months, the state government repeatedly said restoring the gates was "complex", to the point where an off-the-record technical tour took place.
Layers of antiquated signalling would need to be fixed, they said, and the aim is to remove any infrastructure that would impede trains - like swing gates.
Plans for a long-term solution, which will involve boom gates being installed and the system signalling being modernised, are currently being developed with the advice of a specialist heritage advisor and will be submitted to Heritage Victoria for approval.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau released its interim report into the incident in October last year, and while the final report is not expected until the end of this year, it stated the train's brakes were at fault, not the gates.
Now 12 months to the day, the street is still closed, angering businesses, drivers, station users, heritage advocates, council, and more.
READ MORE:
- Ballarat train crash: video shows V/Line train crashing through gates
- LETTERS: 'It's outrageous': Ballarat residents vent anger over Lydiard Street gates
- Traders demand Lydiard Street reopening after 11 months and no action
- V/Line admits solution 'likely to include boomgates'
- 20 years after first reopening, engineer says restoration is possible
- Constructed Lydiard Street level crossing gates waiting for green light
- Community protest demands reopening and heritage restoration
- V/Line still working through Lydiard Street options, six months after crash
- Scary train crash details prompt discussion of Lydiard Street gates' future
- Train crash investigation remains ongoing as Lydiard Street remains closed almost three months later
- Lydiard Street train was going more than twice speed limit
Save Our Station's president Gerald Jenzen was scathing.
"Contempt is one of two default positions for the state government - the other is incompetence," he said.
"The gates are available, the moulds for the columns are available, there's really no excuse for the delay so get on with it.
"The heritage importance of the site's been documented since 1991, when it was included on the heritage buildings register - so what is going on?"
The Department of Transport's head of transport services, Nick Foa, said the "priority is to get Lydiard Street reopened as safely and as quickly as possible".
"We have submitted a heritage permit application so that we can get to work on the temporary solution to reopen Lydiard Street that will involve half boom barriers being connected to the older manual signalling system," he said in a statement.
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"We continue our work and discussions with Heritage Victoria on plans for a long-term solution that will bring the crossing in line with modern safety standards, while also recognising the rich history of the Ballarat station precinct."
"We will keep the community informed as we progress this important work to reopen Lydiard Street."
A planned rally against the boom gates solution was planned for this weekend, with heritage steam trains as a backdrop, but was cancelled due to the lockdown.
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