Whanganui's Glasgow St railway crossing finally up and running

The new railway crossing is one of the most high-tech in the city. Photo / Bevan Conley

After almost 12 months in the dark, the traffic lights at the Glasgow St railway crossing have finally been switched on.

A Whanganui District Council spokesperson said the shared pathway project aims to create safety improvements for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as motorists entering and exiting the two supermarkets neighbouring the railway line.

"The improvements will make crossing Glasgow St much safer for pedestrians, mobility impaired persons and cyclists, including the many schoolchildren who now use the shared pathway along the rail corridor."

The pedestrian crossing is one of the most advanced in the city, with infrared cameras detecting if a pedestrian crosses the road prior to the crossing phase, thereby preventing any unnecessary wait for motorists. The crossings are also monitored 24/7 by the Wellington Traffic Control Operation Centre, with the ability to respond to faults as soon as they are detected.

Ethan Webb, the first person to use the new crossing. Photo / Supplied

The project, which began in October last year, was originally set down to take three weeks but has only just been completed, with the council blaming KiwiRail for the lengthy delay.

In August, nine months after the project was scheduled to be finished, Whanganui District Council senior roading engineer Brent Holmes said the council had completed work at the site in February and was waiting on KiwiRail to connect the lights to the rail controllers.

"The final phase to become operational is reliant on KiwiRail's availability to connect our traffic signals to the rail controllers so they synchronise train movements," Holmes said.

"KiwiRail has indicated it will undertake that work before the end of August 2020. Only then can the traffic signals be switched on."

KiwiRail has been asked for comment.