Ashtead - Warning of Engineering Works

[Deepgreen]

My mother, who lives in Ashtead, has received a letter from Network Rail concerning the 'renewal' of the level crossing there this summer. Numerous road closures and restrictions are listed, including the following:

15 July to 21 July - traffic lights in operation (implying that the level crossing lights and the rest of the crossing will be out of operation).
23 July to 30 July - as above.

A few lines further down the letter, this statement is made:

"Safety is our number one priority and for this reason work of this type must be carried out while trains are not in operation".

The above combination of dates and statement strongly implies that there will be no trains running at all for two weeks through Ashtead (and presumably south of Epsom), as I don't imagine that trains would be permitted to run across a crossing controlled only by traffic lights (i.e. not interlocked).

Can anyone confirm the intended arrangements, please?

Incidentally, the letter also contains the scope of works, listed as a new building to house the operating equipment, replacement of barrier machines, booms and electric circuits. This is all stated as helping to "increase the life of the crossing", but, given that the whole crossing apart from the road will have been replaced, it can hardly be called increasing the life! It's rather like the old joke about the everlasting broom - only the handle and the head have been replaced several times in its life so far!

 

[theironroad]

My mother, who lives in Ashtead, has received a letter from Network Rail concerning the 'renewal' of the level crossing there this summer. Numerous road closures and restrictions are listed, including the following:

15 July to 21 July - traffic lights in operation (implying that the level crossing lights and the rest of the crossing will be out of operation).
23 July to 30 July - as above.

A few lines further down the letter, this statement is made:

"Safety is our number one priority and for this reason work of this type must be carried out while trains are not in operation".

The above combination of dates and statement strongly implies that there will be no trains running at all for two weeks through Ashtead (and presumably south of Epsom), as I don't imagine that trains would be permitted to run across a crossing controlled only by traffic lights (i.e. not interlocked).

Can anyone confirm the intended arrangements, please?

Incidentally, the letter also contains the scope of works, listed as a new building to house the operating equipment, replacement of barrier machines, booms and electric circuits. This is all stated as helping to "increase the life of the crossing", but, given that the whole crossing apart from the road will have been replaced, it can hardly be called increasing the life! It's rather like the old joke about the everlasting broom - only the handle and the head have been replaced several times in its life so far!

Did the letter say what time of day the works would be done?

I'd imagine they would be done overnight when no trains run but the road is still normally open.

 

[Deepgreen]

Did the letter say what time of day the works would be done?

I'd imagine they would be done overnight when no trains run but the road is still normally open.

Road open, but with multi-way traffic lights - 0600-2300,
Road closure - 2300-0600.

As I mentioned, with the road open during the period 0600-2300, but with control only with traffic lights (i.e. replacing the level crossing lights and, presumably, their associated interlocking), I cannot imagine trains be permitted to run.

When I drove over the crossing yesterday, the traffic lights were in operation and trains were not running, which leads me to assume the same would apply whenever the traffic lights regime is in place - i.e. for the two stated weeks during July.

 

[theironroad]

I think you jumped to the wrong conclusion. I googled the word 'ashtead' and under the news tab was an article in the Surrey Mirror that is informative.

http://http://www.surreymirror.co.uk/dd/story-30110055-detail/story.html

. There will be temporary changes for vehicles and pedestrians at the level crossing while work is carried out. Temporary traffic lights will be in place on occasions and for some short overnight periods the level crossing will be closed entirely.

During the full closures vehicles will not be able to use the level crossing at all, with the exception of emergency service vehicles. However, this will take place overnight so that there is minimal disruption

 

[Deepgreen]

I think you jumped to the wrong conclusion. I googled the word 'ashtead' and under the news tab was an article in the Surrey Mirror that is informative.

http://http://www.surreymirror.co.uk/dd/story-30110055-detail/story.html

I'm afraid I have long since learned to take any local newpaper's information with a huge pinch of salt! However, leaving that aside, this article makes no mention at all of the July works set out in the letter from Network Rail. I have certainly jumped to the conclusion that a level crossing on an active railway cannot be controlled simply by traffic lights. I hope I am wrong, as it will be inconvenient from two angles - no train service and delays in visiting my mother!

 

[theironroad]

Level crossing closures happen everyday on the railway. I guess the crossing will be put under local control when trains are running and the booms aren't in place with temporary measures used. However, while there may be some weekend possessions on the railway at the crossing, it appears most of the work is being done overnight when trains don't run and road traffic is light.