KiwiRail and Carterton District Council [CDC] continue to negotiate over proposed level crossing closures, with KiwiRail saying ratepayers need to foot the bill for safety upgrades if they want to keep Brooklyn Rd open.
The rail company has proposed closing four crossings in Carterton, turning the streets into dead ends, as part of its project to upgrade all 30 level crossings in Wairarapa.
The four proposed closures in Carterton are Rhodes St, Pembroke St, Victoria St, and Brooklyn Rd.
The railway was built before three of those roads, which means KiwiRail has jurisdiction to close the crossings.
But Brooklyn Rd was built before the railway, so the council holds jurisdiction.
KiwiRail has proposed that if CDC wants to keep Brooklyn Rd open, ratepayers will need to pay for a footpath and a bike trail.
In response, CDC has asked if KiwiRail would pay to upgrade the crossing and keep the crossing open if council put in a footpath but not a bike trail.
No final decisions have been made, but KiwiRail’s consultation period will end in October, and it will decide how to proceed in November.
Before then, KiwiRail said it will continue to consult with relevant parties, including working groups set up to engage on the proposed level crossing closures.
