The level crossing will be closed from Christmas Eve and into the New Year
One of Cambridgeshire’s most dangerous level crossings is set to get a major safety upgrade. The level crossing on Meldreth Road in Shepreth will be closed over Christmas so that the crossing can be made safer.
According to Network Rail, the crossing has one of the highest risk profiles in the region. With road and rail traffic expected to increase, Network Rail will upgrade the crossing to future proof the safety of everyone using the crossing for the next 30 years.
The existing crossing is an automatic half barrier (AHB) which is operated independently from the main signalling system. Over Christmas, the crossing will be converted to a manually controlled barrier with CCTV.
This type of crossing has full barriers that are connected to the main signalling system and are operated remotely using CCTV cameras. Full width barriers are considered to be safer because it deters motorists from driving around them.
They will be operated by a signaller who will check that the crossing is clear and manually lower the barriers so that a train can pass through safely. The system includes road signals, telephones, and audible warnings to alert road users.
Work to upgrade the crossing has already began, but a crossing closure will be put in place over Christmas. The crossing will close to traffic at 7am on Christmas Eve (December 24) and will reopen at 12pm on Monday, January 12.
While the crossing is closed, a diversion route will be in operation with road users encouraged to use the A10 instead. Once work is complete the new safety features will mean that the barriers will be down for longer than the old barriers.
Emily Heria, Senior Sponsor for Network Rail Anglia said: “This December we’re delivering a key part of the Cambridge re-signalling programme by upgrading the level crossing on Meldreth Road to keep all users safe for years to come.
“We understand that the road is an important connection between Meldreth, Shepreth and Cambridge, and closing the road to allow the crossing to be upgraded will cause some local disruption for road users for which I am sorry.
“We’ve worked hard with the local highways authority to keep the impact of the road closure to a minimum with a simple and short diversion route for drivers.”
