Crossing to remain closed
The rail crossing on State Highway 1B (SH1B) east of Hamilton in the Waikato, also known as Telephone Rd, will remain closed to traffic for the foreseeable future, according to Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency.
The crossing at the intersection with Holland Rd is rated one of the most dangerous in the country. It was closed 12 months ago due to repeated incidents where low vehicles damaged the railway tracks. Damaged tracks could cause a derailment on this increasingly busy train line between Hamilton and Tauranga, says Waka Kotahi.
A detailed investigation was commissioned by Waka Kotahi to determine the best long-term solution for safety at the rail crossing, taking into account the opening of the Hamilton section of the Waikato Expressway and the intention to return SH1B to local road status.
The report took a thorough look at all the available solutions, including the low-cost solutions put forward by the community. The report found that the proposed low-cost solutions failed to meet all of the safety requirements, with the solutions that resolved all the safety concerns estimated to cost between $8 million and $11 million.
“Unfortunately, there is no funding available for a safe solution during the current funding cycle [the 2021-24 National Land Transport Programme],” says Waka Kotahi regional manager of maintenance and operations Rob Campbell.
“However, we will put the Telephone Rd rail crossing forward for consideration in the 2024-27 funding cycle.
“This does not guarantee that the project will receive funding, as all projects across the country are weighted and scrutinised to determine priorities.”
A small group of community representatives will meet with Waka Kotahi, Kiwirail and Waikato District Council to discuss the best option to put forward for funding.
“Until we can go through the funding application process, the only safe option that meets the safety requirements of Waka Kotahi and Kiwirail is for the crossing to remain closed,” Campbell says.
While the crossing will remain closed for vehicles, Waka Kotahi plans to build a pedestrian/cyclist crossing over the railway line, with a school bus stop on the Holland Rd side, subject to final approval from Kiwirail.
Waka Kotahi said last year that the problem is the railway line is higher than the road on either side of it, and this has caused some longer and lower trucks to scrape and dislodge sections of track.
Waka Kotahi says: “Potential engineering solutions are based around raising the level of Holland and Marshmeadow roads so that they are at the same level as the railway crossing. This would be an expensive and highly disruptive project, complicated further by how close the intersection of Telephone Rd and Holland Rd is to the railway line.”