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Aucklanders are warned to expect barrier arms and gates to close for long periods at level crossings when the City Rail Link opens and trains ramp up in frequency.
At the Church St East level crossing on the southern line, Auckland Transport (AT) has estimated the frequency oftrains will double, lowering the barrier arms for at least 45 minutes per hour during the morning and afternoon peaks.
Several level crossings have been removed over the past few years, including two as part of the CRL works: at Normanby Rd, and Porters Ave in Mt Eden.
AT has budgeted $12 million this year to close seven pedestrian crossings at six locations before the CRL opens in 2026. The budget includes other safety upgrades and a level-crossing business case for the longer term.
Auckland Transport says the railway crossing at Church St East would be down for 45 minutes during the morning and afternoon peak hours unless something is done about it. Photo / Dean Purcell
The long-term AT/KiwiRail crossing removal programme is estimated to cost $3 billion, which will be put towards ensuring trains don’t stop the traffic on dozens of road and pedestrian crossings across the city’s rail network post-CRL.
The full programme involves 33 road crossings being removed over 30 years, mostly with an underpass or overpass, and nine pedestrian crossings.
At this stage, there is no funding for more expensive projects, like building three grade-separated bridge crossings at Takanini on the southern line, estimated to cost $642m. Other expensive projects include Morningside Drive, St Jude St, Glenview Rd and Metcalfe Rd. Grade-separated crossings separate road traffic and/or pedestrians from the rail network through features such as bridges and tunnels.
“When the CRL opens, in some places the train frequencies will increase significantly, which means crossing barrier arms and gates will be closed more frequently, and this can result in people getting frustrated and taking risks,” said AT general manager of transport infrastructure development, Christian Messelyn.
AT has carried out a desktop study that estimated indicative barrier closure times and found several crossings, particularly on the southern line, would be closed for extended periods.
Pedestrian crossings at Corban Estate in Henderson and Tironui Station Rd East at Takanini closed last month. The five others being closed are Lloyd Ave in Mt Mt Albert, Kingdom St in Newmarket, O’Neills Rd in Swanson, and two crossings at Homai Station in Manurewa.
AT said it is talking with local businesses about the Church St East crossing and expects to have the matter concluded before the CRL opens.
Graeme Easte, a former local board member with a long-time interest in level crossings, said the issue had been kicked to touch for decades.
“It’s impossible to deal with them before the CRL opens. We have left it too late, but there is just enough time to do the South Auckland ones, which means there will be no level crossings between Papakura and the city,” he said.
Easte said with more trains running after the CRL, arm barriers will be down up to three-quarters of the time during peak hours. He expects complaints about delays.
When that happens, it creates a temptation for a motorist at the head of the queue to say to themselves, “I got stuck here yesterday, I’m not going to let it happen again, I’m going” - then they could wind up trapped between two barriers with a train coming at them, he said.
Easte pointed to Melbourne, where a major transport overhaul by the government in Victoria includes removing 110 level crossings by 2030 to improve safety, reduce congestion, improve travel times, and increase capacity on the rail network. So far, 74 crossings have been removed.
The new road overpass at Normandy Rd in Mt Eden. Photo / Dean Purcell
Automobile Association Auckland spokesman Martin Glynn agreed the CRL will enable a substantial step-up in train services, saying where roads cross the rail network, there will be longer delays and increased safety risks.
“It will be important to make careful decisions about whether road and rail crossings should be separated or closed based on genuine safety issues, actual traffic demand, and the part crossings play in the surrounding road network.
“Given the impacts on the wider transport network and the many calls [regarding] scarce transport funding, the timing of any crossing changes needs to be carefully aligned with accurate projections of growth in rail passengers,” Glynn said.
