KiwiRail has previously rated the rail crossing as one of the most dangerous of 1300 in New Zealand. Photo / Ross Setford
KiwiRail has previously rated the rail crossing as one of the most dangerous of 1300 in New Zealand. Photo / Ross Setford
The State Highway 1B Telephone Rd rail crossing near Hamilton will reopen to motorists this week.
The road was closed in April 2022 after repeated instances of low vehicles damaging the railway tracks at the level crossing. Damaged tracks could cause a derailment.
Now, the signals and barriers are inthe final stages of testing and commissioning, with the crossing expected to open tomorrow afternoon, July 30.
The State Highway 1B Telephone Rd intersection reopened in May, which meant motorists have since been able to use the Holland Rd/Marshmeadow Rd intersection, which had previously been closed as well.
New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi’s (NZTA) director of regional relationships for Waikato/Bay of Plenty, Andrew Corkill, said this was a big milestone for the Puketaha community.
“It’s been a long process to reopen this rail crossing and we’d like to thank the community, Waikato District Council and KiwiRail, who have all worked constructively with NZTA to get us to this point.”
Since early this year, work had been ongoing to address “two main safety concerns” at the rail crossing.
The concerns were the height of the rail tracks on either side of the crossing, which led to low vehicles hitting and dislodging sections of the track, and the short distance from the crossing to the Holland Rd intersection.
The road height was raised by over 400mm for a distance of 90 metres on either side of the crossing, and escape lanes have been built on Holland Rd so vehicles can clear the rail crossing when a train approaches.
Kiwirail’s acting chief infrastructure officer, Siva Sivapakkiam, said this was a good outcome for the community.
“We are pleased to see the SH1B Telephone Rd rail crossing open again, and safer than before with newly installed active safety protection.
The section of railway line at SH1B Telephone Rd that was dislodged in April 2022 at the level crossing.
“This has not been a straightforward project, but strong collaboration with NZTA and others has led to this good result,” he said.
Along with new signals and barriers, additional warning signs advising motorists to watch out for approaching trains have been installed at the intersection of Telephone and Holland Rds.
The rail crossing on SH1B Telephone Rd was previously considered one of the most dangerous in New Zealand.
After the closure in 2022, NZTA commissioned a detailed report on future options for the crossing.
The options proposed ranged from barrier arms, limited access to light vehicles and judder bars, to more complex options involving “significant” engineering work to reconfigure the rail crossing and intersection.
At the time of the closure, NZTA said no funding was available for a safe solution until 2024, with a fix estimated to cost between $8 million and $11m.
In November last year, KiwiRail and NZTA came to an agreement on a package of improvements to enable the road and rail crossing to function safely.
