The crossings closing in Carterton will be on Victoria Street and Rhodes Street. Photo: LDR / Wairarapa Times-Age / Emily Ireland
Four rail crossings will be permanently closed next year across Wairarapa, with timing pencilled in for mid-to-late 2025.
An additional 25 crossings would be upgraded as part of an extensive safety programme KiwiRail was undertaking to get the Wairarapa Line ready for faster and more frequent trains from 2029.
The new trains were expected to double the frequency of passenger services on the Wairarapa Line and improve journey times.
On the chopping block in Carterton were Victoria Street and Rhodes Street, which were set to close in July and September 2025 respectively.
In Featherston, Bell Street and Brandon Street crossings were also set to close mid-to-late next year.
Meanwhile, the fate of Judds Road in Masterton hangs in the balance, with Masterton District Council yet to make a call on funding the more than $4.8 million worth of improvements prescribed by KiwiRail to ensure it could safely remain open.
Judds Road was scheduled for the end of the work programme in 2026.
A KiwiRail spokesperson said crews were currently working on upgrading the Woodside and Hillcrest Street level crossings, and had almost completed civil works at Cornwall Street.
Next up would be Kent Street in Carterton, and the rest of the crossing upgrade work would be underway in the new year.
"Each crossing takes around six weeks to complete, and all will include periods of single, or full lane road closures of one week or more while the work is done," the spokesperson said.
"Our aim is keep disruption to a minimum, and sometimes the best way to do that is to close the road so the crew can get in and get the work done quickly."
The upcoming part of the work programme would focus on fitting barriers and flashing lights and bells on Kent, Belvedere, Pembroke, and Brooklyn crossings in Carterton, alongside roading upgrades such as markings and railings.
Wheatstone Street, the section of road between Broadway and Belvedere, was owned by KiwiRail and as part of these safety improvements, they would make this street one way with vehicles only able to travel north.
This was to avoid vehicles from queuing back across the railway line while waiting to turn.
The change to one way would take effect as part of the Belvedere crossing upgrades in January.
The closure of Victoria, Rhodes, Bell, and Brandon Street crossings mean the road is essentially cut in two, forcing a detour for residents who live at the top end of each street.
Judds Road in Masterton on the other hand is an arterial route joining commercial traffic with a bypass.
Closing the crossing would result in the road becoming a dead end.
An independent report to KiwiRail estimated the economic benefit of keeping the road open was more than $2m a year.
KiwiRail was required under the Railways Act to remove risk so far as is reasonably practicable.
KiwiRail programme director Andy Lyon previously said Judds Road was "the most dangerous crossing of the lot" because of the risk of buses and long vehicles sitting over the tracks while waiting to join traffic on Ngaumutawa Road.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.