Masterton Rail Crossing Compromise Raises Safety Concerns

Sunday, 9 March 2025, 10:12 pm
Article: Emily Ireland - Local Democracy Reporter

March 7, 2025

A compromise over closing the Judds Rd rail crossing in Masterton means new safety issues will be funnelled towards the High St intersection instead, community advocates say.

The proposed design, announced by KiwiRail this week, involved one-way access into Judds Rd from Ngaumutawa Rd, along with traffic islands to prevent traffic from exiting onto Ngaumutawa Rd.

In 2023, KiwiRail proposed closing the crossing completely to "create a safer and more efficient railway” and was met with fierce resistance from elected members, businesses, and residents.

It had concerns about vehicles left sitting over the railway tracks while waiting to turn onto Ngaumutawa Rd and said keeping the crossing open would require $4.8 million in safety improvements.

This week, KiwiRail announced they had reached a compromise thanks to a “collaborative effort between the Judds Road Steering Group, Masterton District Council and KiwiRail”.

KiwiRail programme director Andy Lyon said the proposal was “practical, affordable and achieves a good balance between safety and amenity for the community”.

“Based on the current proposal, KiwiRail can cover the cost as part of the level crossing upgrade which includes barrier arms, lights and bells, and associated safety features such as traffic islands on Judds Rd.”

Judds Road Steering Group chair John Cockburn said the group had worked for two years on behalf of the community to achieve this outcome.

“Although it does not meet the goal we set out to achieve, it is a compromise position that is certainly far better than seeing the intersection close for good,” he said.

“We are encouraged by KiwiRail’s commitment to organise a meeting of all stakeholders later in the month to discuss the longer-term options for the crossing to support a growing population, and we will certainly be tabling our concerns with traffic flow into High St at that time.”

Concerns were previously shared by residents and Judds Rd businesses, including commercial bakery Breadcraft, about the risk of traffic being forced to use the High St entrance, which was referred to as “the gauntlet”.

An independent review carried out by KiwiRail’s own consultants, Aurecon, recommended keeping the crossing open if safety concerns were addressed to avoid an economic cost to the community of $2.7m per annum.

Masterton Ratepayers and Residents Association president Lyn Riley said her group was disappointed with the partial closure decision and concerned about the potential traffic flow into High St, “especially the right hand turn heading south, and we worry that action may only come after an accident”.

“We will raise these concerns at the upcoming meeting, hoping to find a solution that works for everyone as Masterton’s west side population grows.”

Wairarapa Road Safety Council projects coordinator Holly Hullena said the collaborative effort to address safety concerns at the Judds Rd level crossing was “commendable”, but said the increased safety concern at the High St intersection needed to be addressed.

“The removal of the short-stacking risk is a significant step forward in ensuring the safety of both motorists and rail users,” Hullena said.

“It's crucial that we prioritise the prevention of accidents at railway crossings, and this solution does just that.

“However, with all Judds Rd traffic now exiting onto High St, there is an increased safety concern that needs to be addressed.

“It's important for the community and stakeholders to work together to manage this change effectively, ensuring that traffic flow is smooth and safe for all road users.”

She said education and advocacy would play key roles in helping residents adapt to these changes and maintain road safety.

Lyon said KiwiRail would work closely with Masterton District Council to refine the final design, “ideally avoiding changes to Ngaumutawa Rd as the cost of this work would be beyond the funding allowances of the rail upgrades”.

“We look forward to getting work underway on the Judds Rd level crossing upgrade later this year,” he said.

Masterton’s deputy mayor Bex Johnson said the council was happy to work with KiwiRail on any options which could keep Judds Rd open “either totally or partially, recognising, of course, what impact they might have on people who use the road”.

KiwiRail is midway through its work to upgrade the Wairarapa line ready for the arrival of faster and more frequent services from 2029.

-LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

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