This Easter weekend KiwiRail will be working on the Western Lake Road level crossing near Featherston as part of its Wairarapa line upgrade. The crossing is being made ready for barrier arms and warning signals (lights and bells), that will come into operation in early 2027 when power is installed to the line. KiwiRail is also creating a protected pathway alongside the road where pedestrians and cyclists can cross the lines safely.
KiwiRail Programme Director Andy Lyon says the level crossing upgrade work is all about keeping people safe.
“We’re really pleased to be making a start on Western Lake Road.
“Its rural location means traffic is often going through it at open road speeds, so good warning signals couldn’t be more important.
“We’d love to have the new signals installed and working sooner, but can’t physically turn them on until power is installed. We have a team of people working on that now – trenching and putting in underground ducting for cabling that will run the length of the Wairarapa line. Once it’s in, we can power up a new train signalling system that means more services can run, and every level crossing will have automatic barrier arms, lights and bells.
“Meanwhile we urge people to always look for trains, every time, every crossing.”
Construction at Western Lake Road begins mid April and will continue through to the end of June this year.
KiwiRail will have crew and contractors on the job over Easter and Anzac weekends, with a temporary road closure in place between 6am Friday 18 April and 6am Sunday 20 April. Light vehicles will still be able to cross using a temporary crossing next to the site, with heavy vehicles following a detour around the East-West Access Road and Kahutara Road.
In South Wairarapa KiwiRail is upgrading five of the seven level crossings and closing two – Bell Street and Brandon Street.
“We’ve been talking through designs and timing with South Wairarapa District Council, and expect to be getting underway with the Revans Street upgrade towards the middle of the year. The two closures are scheduled to begin towards the end of 2025,” Andy Lyon says.
The Wairarapa line upgrade is a $350 million investment in making it safer and more resilient, ready for the arrival of faster moving and more frequent services from 2029.
“We’re getting the line ready by replacing worn track, introducing places where trains can pass, and making level crossings safer. We’ve recently completed the Remutaka renewal which was an epic task for the crew, but means that we now have a tunnel that is fit to serve the region for another 70 years of so,” Andy Lyon says.
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