Three level crossings on the East Suffolk line are to be upgraded to improve safety, with the work being carried out on weeknights from Tuesday 6 October to 23 December in 2020 and then again in the New Year from Wednesday 6 January to Friday 5 April, when the upgrades will be fully completed.
The line will be closed for some of the work in 2021 and further information will be available nearer the time.
Work will be carried out on crossings at:
- Haywards (on Tide Mill Way)
- Ferry Lane
- Jetty Avenue (on Jetty Lane)
The upgrades are needed as these crossings are being used more heavily in recent years, following development of the local area, and some of the equipment is old and needs replacing.
New equipment will be fitted that will automatically detect obstructions, for example a pedestrian or a car, bringing the crossings in line with more modern safety standards.
The yodel (alarm) sounding time will also be shortened from 70 seconds to 20 seconds for each train passage at Haywards and Ferry Lane road crossings, reducing noise pollution.
The new equipment that will be installed includes:
- New signalling equipment with related cabling;
- Axle Counters (which detect the location of trains on the track);
- New crossing decks at Ferry Lane and Haywards.
Ellie Burrows, Network Rail’s route director for Anglia, said: “Our main priority is to keep our railway running safely for everyone and, as communities grow, upgrades like this are essential in doing just that.
“It’s safer for our engineers to work when trains aren’t running, which is why much of the work will be carried out overnight, and we have plans and methods in place to minimise noise levels.”
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