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A KiwiRail proposal to close five level crossings in Wairarapa has sparked anger from residents and businesses.
As part of a major upgrade, the network operator was reviewing its 30 crossings in Wairarapa. It proposed to remove crossings at Judds Rd in Masterton, and Brooklyn Rd, Victoria St, Rhodes St and Pembroke St in Carterton.
KiwiRail held a public meeting in Masterton on Friday where more than 250 residents and business owners expressed dismay at the proposed closure of Judds Rd to through traffic.
The road was home to one of Wairarapa’s biggest employers, Breadcraft, and provided access to both SH2 and the main arterial bypass, with close to a thousand vehicles using the crossing every day.
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Over the next several years KiwiRail is set to double the number of passenger services from Masterton to Wellington. One of the stations at Solway was located near the Judds Rd intersection.
KiwiRail said level crossings were a risk to pedestrians and vehicles and that risk increased as it started to run more trains at faster speeds, which would be happening as track and rolling stock upgrades progressed.
KiwiRail’s general manager metros Jon Knight said the Judds Rd crossing was “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.”
Piers Fuller/The Post
Breadcraft owner John Cockburn and nearby resident Lyn Riley are two of hundreds of people angry at KiwiRail plans to close the Judds Rd level crossing in Masterton.
The alternative route proposed by KiwiRail would take traffic along the bypass on Ngaumutawa Rd to SH2 where a new roundabout was being built, and back north along High St to the eastern intersection with Judds Rd.
Breadcraft which employed 150 people was located next to the crossing. Owner John Cockburn said all parties needed to work together to find a safe solution that didn’t involve closing the crossing.
“We need to make sure we improve access to the centre of town for the future population … and much of the growth will come in close proximity to Judds Rd.
“These future residents are needing easy access to Solway Station to fully utilise this great new service.”
Cockburn calculated that the closure would cost each of their 10 daily trucking contractors $4000 a year to drive the additional distance the factory.
He said data showed there has only been one “near miss” at the crossing since 2012.
Developer Steve Pilbrow noted when he was planning his subdivision The Barracks near the crossing two years ago, he had a report done by consultants BECA that said there were solutions to making the crossing safer such as installing a turning lane in Ngaumutawa Rd.
Nearby resident and president of the ratepayers association Lyn Riley said the closure would put a lot of pressure on the only alternative exit at SH2 which was already difficult to negotiate.
“The closure of this crossing will have a very negative and dangerous impact on the Judds Rd and High St intersection. This is not a viable alternative route.”
Piers Fuller/The Post
The public meeting organised by KiwiRail at the Copthorne Hotel to discuss rail crossing closures in Masterton attracted around 250 people.
Wairarapa MP Kieran McAnulty wrote to KiwiRail chief executive Reidy earlier this week highlighting the impact that a closure of the crossings, particularly Judds Rd, would have on local people and businesses and KiwiRail should listen to concerns.
“Given the compelling evidence they bring to matter showing the very negative impact the proposed closure would have on their businesses’ current operations, to say nothing of future plans put into doubt, it seems to me that any advantages or benefits to the community generally of the proposed closure must very clearly outweigh the potential damage being wrought on local business.”
Wairarapa has 30 crossings on its stretch of railway line which amounted to one crossing every 1.5km, whereas from Upper Hutt to Wellington there were only three crossings putting the average at one crossing every 8km.
A public meeting in Carterton to discuss its crossing closure proposals was set to be held on May 29.
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