KiwiRail is hosting two meetings at the Carterton Events Centre to share further information and collect feedback on its proposals to close level crossings on the Wairarapa Line.
The meetings will take place at:
- 12.30pm Monday 29 May
- 6.30pm, Wednesday 31 May
A statement from KiwiRail on the proposals ahead of the meeting is available below.
Dale Williams, Deputy Mayor of Carterton, welcomed the opportunity for the community to hear more about the proposals.
“It is obviously good news that there is an expectation that rail capacity for the Wairarapa Line will increase to reflect our community’s growth,” he said.
“However, we have noted, and we share, our community’s frustrations regarding the process of sharing the proposals, and the lack of detail and changes in the information so far.
“KiwiRail have kept Council and elected members informed to a degree, but there has been no consistency or clarity to the statements we have received.”
Geoff Hamilton, Chief Executive of Carterton District Council, said that the decision to include Brooklyn Road in the first tranche of proposed closures was new information.
“For example, as Chief Executive, I was unaware until this morning of the intention to close Brooklyn Road, as part of the initial proposals.
“If that is the case, I feel the recent mailout to people on Victoria and Pembroke Streets only is insufficient for changes which will impact our entire community.
“I would like to see changes of this magnitude discussed with all councillors and senior council staff so we can keep our community informed.
“We look forward to working more closely with KiwiRail to keep the community informed with to the full extent, and the short-, and long-term, ramifications of the proposals.”
Visit the KiwiRail website for further information on the KiwiRail Wairarapa Line proposals.
KiwiRail statement proposed level crossing closures
Context
Thanks to government funding, KiwiRail is investing $700 million in building a more reliable, modern and resilient railway in the Wellington Region that will allow us to support new trains and better commuter journeys. In addition to this, the government has also shown its support for passenger rail through the announcement of new trains for the lower North Island, and this includes approximately $100M of additional infrastructure.
As part of this significant funding for the Wellington rail network, in late 2021 KiwiRail in partnership with Greater Wellington Regional Council embarked on a major programme of overdue and necessary works on the Wairarapa Line – a significant upgrade not seen in a generation. The Wairarapa Line works that are well underway include track renewals, bridge replacements, drainage and de-vegetation works, and slope stabilisation.
The work also includes the full replacement of the track through the 8.8km long Remutaka Tunnel. The track condition in the Remutaka tunnel currently restricts speeds to 60 km/h. The track replacement in this long tunnel presents a unique challenge and necessitates significant amounts of time.
Capacity upgrades
In addition to this renewals work, two years ago KiwiRail received funding from the New Zealand Upgrade Programme (NZUP) to upgrade the line’s capacity to support more train services. These capacity upgrades are timely with the government’s recent announcement about funding for new trains, which will enable the delivery of low-emission passenger trains and infrastructure improvements to ensure service continuity on the Wairarapa Line.
The current works and additional capacity upgrade will mean the Wairarapa Line is equipped to support safer, more frequent and reliable train services for Wairarapa commuters. Improved public transport services are an important backbone to support housing growth in the region.
Metlink are proposing that by the end of the decade, the Wairarapa Line will change from a relatively quiet rural railway to a busy semi–urban line, with a doubling of train services.
Level crossings
Key among the NZUP-enabled upgrades is new signalling between Featherston and Masterton, new passing loops at Maymorn and Woodside, and safety improvements at all public level crossings on the Wairarapa Line.
There are 30 public level crossings between the Remutaka Tunnel and Masterton. On average this equates to one crossing every 1.5km, with some crossings as little as 240m apart. Level crossings present a documented risk to pedestrians and vehicles. That risk increases as we start to run more trains at faster speeds.
The NZUP funding means we are required to review the safety profile of all these crossings as more trains travel through them at faster speeds. Having too many level crossings can also affect train schedules, potentially limiting the number of trains that can run on the line, which impacts on commuters.
We are investing significantly in improving every crossing on the line. This means:
- Where there is an existing pedestrian access at a level crossing, it will be upgraded with a new pedestrian access featuring automatic gates, flashing lights and bells, and a smooth level crossing surface.
- Where a road level crossing is proposed to be closed, it will be replaced with a new pedestrian access featuring automatic gates, flashing lights and bells, and a smooth level crossing surface.
Of the 17 public level crossings in the Carterton district area, we are proposing to close four that have viable alternative routes. These are Brooklyn Road, Victoria Street, Pembroke Street and Rhodes Street.
Of the six public level crossings in the Masterton district area, we are proposing to close one. This is Judds Road, which is particularly risky for drivers because of the short distance between the junction and the rail line. What this means is that a long vehicle, even though it might comply with road regulations, is unable to safely clear the level crossing when stopping at the adjacent road intersection. This is a significant safety risk.
The level crossings that are proposed to remain open will all have automated barriers, flashing lights and bells, and various roading upgrades.
Below is a full list of the proposed level crossing upgrades.
The level crossings in the South Wairarapa District are not currently included in this document as KiwiRail and South Wairarapa District Council are still in conversation to ensure the level crossing upgrades are appropriately incorporated in the SWDC masterplan.
| Level Crossing | Existing Road Controls | Proposed Road Upgrade Treatments |
| Matarawa Road | Stop Sign | Barriers, flashing lights, bells, advanced warning, roading upgrades (eg; markings and railings) |
| Moffats Road | Stop Sign | Barriers, flashing lights, bells, roading upgrades (eg; markings and railings) |
| Watersons Line | Stop Sign | Barriers, flashing lights, bells, roading upgrades (eg; markings and railings) |
| Hodders Road | Stop Sign | Barriers, flashing lights, bells, roading upgrades (eg; markings and railings) |
| Dalefield Road | Flashing lights and bells | Barriers, flashing lights, bells, roading upgrades (eg; markings and railings) |
| Lincoln Road | Flashing lights and bells | Barriers, flashing lights, bells, roading upgrades (eg; markings and railings) |
| Brooklyn Road | Flashing lights and bells | Closure – Pedestrian and cycle access retained with automatic gates, flashing lights, bells and crossing surfaces upgraded |
| Victoria Street | Flashing lights and bells | Closure – Pedestrian access retained with automatic gates, flashing lights, bells and crossing surfaces upgraded |
| Pembroke Street | Flashing lights and bells | Closure – Pedestrian access retained with automatic gates, flashing lights, bells and crossing surfaces upgraded |
| Belvedere Road | Flashing lights and bells | Barriers, flashing lights, bells, roading upgrades (eg; markings and railings) |
| Rhodes Street | Flashing lights and bells | Closure – Pedestrian access retained with automatic gates, flashing lights, bells and crossing surfaces upgraded |
| Kent Street | Flashing lights and bells | Barriers, flashing lights, bells, roading upgrades (eg; markings and railings) |
| Andersons Line | Stop Sign | Barriers, flashing lights, bells, roading upgrades (eg; markings and railings) |
| Chester Road | Flashing lights and bells | Barriers, flashing lights, bells, roading upgrades (eg; markings and railings) |
| Wiltons Road | Stop Sign | Barriers, flashing lights, bells, roading upgrades (eg; markings and railings) |
| Norman Avenue | Barriers, flashing lights and bells | Roading upgrades |
| Norfolk Road | Flashing lights and bells | Barriers, flashing lights, bells, roading upgrades (eg; markings and railings) |
| Ngaumutawa Road | Barriers, flashing lights and bells | Crossing surface, removal of raised central median strip, flashing lights relocated to kerbside, roading upgrades (eg; markings and railings) |
| Judds Road | Flashing lights and bells | Closure – Pedestrian access retained with automatic gates, flashing lights, bells and crossing surfaces upgraded |
| Hillcrest Street | Flashing lights and bells | Barriers, flashing lights, bells, roading upgrades (eg; markings and railings) |
| Cornwall Street | Flashing lights and bells | Barriers, flashing lights, bells, roading upgrades (eg; markings and railings) |
| Renall Street | Barriers, flashing lights and bells | Barriers, flashing lights, bells, roading upgrades (eg; markings and railings) |
| Akura Road | Flashing lights and bells | Flashing lights, bells, roading upgrades (eg; markings and railings) |