Media centre

Tuesday 14 Feb 2017

Residents invited to find out more about Surrey level crossing improvements

Region & Route:

Southern: Wessex

| Southern

Network Rail is inviting residents living near Woodfield Lane level crossing in Ashtead, Surrey, to come and find out more about upcoming improvement work at the crossing aimed at making it safer and more reliable.

A drop-in session is being held on Tuesday, 21 February from 12:00 until 18:00 at the Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall. The session will provide residents with an opportunity to discuss the improvements with Network Rail’s project team and to find out more about how the work may impact them.

The renewal of the equipment will mainly be carried out by engineers overnight and at some weekends, and will see much of the level crossing equipment replaced, including the barriers and pedestals - the equipment which controls the movement of the barriers. The brick building to the north east of the crossing will also be dismantled and replaced with a new equipment building.

Becky Lumlock, route managing director at Network Rail, said: “Ensuring the safety of everyone who uses the railway and our level crossings is of the utmost importance, which is why level crossing barriers come down as a failsafe if there is a fault.

“However, given that Ashtead level crossing is so heavily relied upon, I understand how frustrating it must be when the barriers fail, so I’m pleased to say that we’ll be renewing the level crossing equipment this year as part of our Railway Upgrade Plan, to make it more reliable, and I welcome anyone who is interested along to our drop-in session.”

The work will lead to some temporary changes for vehicles and pedestrians at the level crossing. Temporary traffic lights will be in place on occasion and for some short overnight periods the level crossing will close entirely.

During the full closures there will be no vehicular access across the level crossing with the exception of the emergency services. Alternative parking will be available at Ashtead station and pedestrian access will be available across the footbridge in the station, or step-free via the underpass to St. Stevens Avenue.

The work on the new level crossing will be finished in the summer.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

Dates for multi-way traffic lights and full road closures are listed below. Some dates have been revised from previous publicity and further dates for May onwards will be issued nearer the time.

Multi-way traffic lights

29 January from 00:01 until 06:30

9 February from 09:30 until 14:00

12 February from 00:01 until 16:00

19 February from 00:01 until 07:30

1 April from 23:00 until 07:00 on 2 April

13 May from 23:00 until 13:00 on 14 May

Full Road Closure

18 March from 23:00 until 07:00 on 19 March

20 May from 23:00 until 04:00 on 22 May