Rail safety advocates say a crash between a quad bike and freight train should serve as a reminder for people to always cross at a level crossing.

The collision happened in Western Bay of Plenty just 8pm last night, leaving one person dead and two others injured.

It happened near Apata Station Road in Whakamarama.

Tracksafe NZ spokesperson Megan Drayton says trains are often travelling much faster than people think.

"People should always cross at level crossings and, you know it seems obvious, but you really have to look both ways and look again for trains and certainly you should never cross if you see a train approaching."

Drayton says accidents like this are devastating for everyone involved.

"These incidents are incredibly traumatic for out locomotive engineers, for our train drivers, these guys don't want to go to work and kill somebody, it's a very traumatic experience for them."