Auckland Council is injecting almost $8 million into safer rail crossings across the city - and the safety measures could soon be introduced nationwide.
It follows pleas from the family of a teenager killed by a train while on his headphones last year.
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Karamea and Presley Matthes have spent the past year grieving for their son Keenan.
At just 16 years old - he was hit by a train while on a morning run.
"We miss him so much, and there is never a day, never a minute we dont think of him," Mr Matthes told Newshub.
When Keenan stepped onto the tracks at Ranui Station in West Auckland last year, his headphones were plugged in.
He didn't stand a chance with an oncoming train.
"To lose him, you know, we don't want another family to go through this," Mr Matthes said.
That's why the Matthes family have spent the last year spearheading a new rail safety campaign - and today their hard work paid off.
Auckland Transport announcing $7.6 million will be put into automatic gates and hazard lights.
"When a train hits a car or a pedestrian, it's totally unforgiving - 13 times more likely to result in a fatality than a road accident," Phil Goff said.
In the past three years alone, seven pedestrians have been killed by trains in Auckland.
That could have been much worse though - with 50 near-misses recorded.
The Minister of Transport says these gates could be implemented nationwide.
"I've asked my officials to look at the scale of the problem nationwide and what we need to do, what investments we need to do to reduce deaths and serious injuries right around New Zealand," Phil Twyford said.
So far the gates have been installed at seven stations - this funding allows for 11 more.
There are plans though for them to be installed right across the city.
For the Matthes family - this won't bring back their boy - but it goes a long way to ensuring another family doesn't feel their pain.
Newshub.
