Carterton District Council welcomes the new rail safety measures KiwiRail and Greater Wellington Regional Council have confirmed, as part of their ongoing commitment to upgrade the Wairarapa Line Service.
KiwiRail and Greater Wellington Regional Council have announced the findings of their report into Wairarapa rail crossings following last year’s announcement over potential crossing closures on the Wairarapa Line.
In May 2023, KiwiRail undertook individual assessments of each of the 30 crossings as part of its work to prepare a more frequent and faster commuter service between Masterton and Wellington. It proposed 23 level crossings with flashing warning lights, bells, and barrier arms and closing seven level crossings. This included a number of crossings in Carterton.
Following meetings last year, KiwiRail engaged Aurecon and JMDR [consulting engineers and rail specialists] to carry out an independent assessment that considers safety and the broader implications to the road network and community.
Among other recommendations, the report calls for:
1. closing five level crossings across Wairarapa and upgrading 25 more. The closures would include Rhodes Street and Victoria Street in Carterton.
2. keeping Pembroke Street, which was of notable concern to emergency services and the community, open.
KiwiRail plans to adopt the report recommendations and begin work on the Wairarapa Line level crossing work programme in April this year. The KiwiRail project team will be working from south to north, with a targeted completion date of mid to late March 2026.
Closing Rhodes Street and Victoria Street vehicle crossings will still mean continued pedestrian access across the tracks. Brooklyn, Pembroke, and Kent Streets will all remain open, with lights and barriers upgraded and/or installed across Carterton District.
Hon. Ron Mark, Mayor of Carterton, said the Council and our community have worked hard in negotiations with KiwiRail to achieve a better outcome than we anticipated when the project was first announced.
“The track upgrades and increased rail service will boost Wairarapa’s transport connections, and the benefits outweigh the potential impacts the two closures will have,” he said.
More information is available from the KiwiRail Wairarapa Line webpage, kiwirail.co.nz/wairarapa-line, including the report and a summary.
- PDF of the summary of the level crossing recommendations [https://www.kiwirail.co.nz/assets/Uploads/Our-Regions/Wellington/Wairarapa-Line-v2/Level-Crossing-Recommendations.pdf]
- PDF of the full report, Wairarapa Rail Upgrade Design Level Crossings Risk Assessment , [https://www.kiwirail.co.nz/assets/Uploads/Our-Regions/Wellington/Wairarapa-Line-v2/FINAL-Level-Crossing-Risk-Assessment-Wairarapa-Line-Feb-2024.pdf]
Map of proposed Wairarapa Line rail crossings with recommendations
KiwiRail map of Wairarapa Line rail crossings, taken from Wairarapa Rail Upgrade Design Level Crossings Risk Assessment.
wairarapa line crossings kiwirail