Media centre

Monday 11 Jul 2005

RAIL WORK CLOSES LEVEL CROSSING

Region & Route:

| Wales & Western: Wales & Borders

| Wales & Western

Work by Network Rail to renew the railway track in the Shropshire village of Onibury will mean the temporary closure of the level crossing on the busy A49 trunk road for part of two weekends in July. In an operation costing £51,500, Network Rail will remove and replace a quarter of a mile of track on the line between Craven Arms and Ludlow. The track is life-expired and if not renewed, it will be necessary to impose speed restrictions on trains travelling from Shrewsbury towards Hereford. This would result in delays to the 20 trains a day that Arriva Trains Wales operate over the route, something that Network Rail is keen to avoid. As a result of the work, the level crossing in Onibury will be closed for just over 12 hours from 11 pm on Saturday 23 July until 11.45 am the next morning, and again at similar times the following weekend (30/31 July). The highway authority has authorised two different sets of local diversions, one for cars, and the other for heavy goods vehicles. The diversionary route for cars is quite straightforward and will be via the B4365 from Ludlow to Pedlar’s Rest then the B4368 to Craven Arms and vice versa. However, the route for HGVs is between 35 and 40 miles long. It takes the same route as for cars along the B4365 from Ludlow to Pedlar’s Rest but then the B4368 to Morville and the A458 through Much Wenlock to Shrewsbury. There will be signs on all the approaches to the A49 junction with the A5 trunk road at Shrewsbury. The A49 from Ludlow will remain open as far as Bromfield for access to and from the A4113 Leintwardine / Knighton road Access for residents living on the A49 will be maintained from Craven Arms for those living north of the crossing, including the village of Onibury, and from Ludlow for those living south of the crossing, including Bromfield village. Network Rail is advising road users to allow extra time for the diversions as the level crossing is on a main holiday route and the work takes place on the first two weekends following the start of the school summer holiday.