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Friday 4 Mar 2005

BEDDINGHAM CROSSING TO CLOSE FOR TWO NIGHTS

Region & Route:

| Southern

For six hours from 10pm on Friday 11 March and the same time on Saturday 12 March, Beddingham level crossing on the A27 will be closed.  The crossing will still be opened during the day time. Andrew Munden, Network Rail Route Director, said:  “We are doing routine maintenance, which needs to be done on average, three times a year.  When we last did this, in November 2004, we learned that a crossing closure between 10am and 6am caused the least inconvenience to local people.” The work is carried out by a special train called a tamper (see photo). The tamper is laser-guided and lifts up the track and sleepers to automatically improve the tracks’ foundations and ultimately improves the smoothness of train rides. The road closure has been organised in conjunction with the Highways Agency and local authority. It will take motorists on an alternative route via the A26 just south of Uckfield and then on the A22 through to Polegate.