Adamstown railway gates block traffic three times in 25 minutes, spurring
Councillors want the state to fund the Lower Hunter Freight Bypass to stop trains blocking Adamstown's crossing.
Three trains passed through Adamstown's railway gates in 25 minutes on Monday morning. Each one blocked traffic on both sides.
A passenger train came first. Then a heritage train came.
Then a freight train more than a kilometre long. It blocked the gates for over five minutes.
Newcastle councillors gathered at the crossing to push the state to fund the Lower Hunter Freight Bypass. The bypass would remove freight trains from suburbs, ending the main congestion cause.
Resident Elaine Abery tries to avoid the area when possible. She now takes the longer route via Nine Ways.
The 2018 Future Transport strategy identified the bypass. It has a 10 to 20-year delivery window.
But no funding has been committed yet. Transport Minister Yasmin Catley said the government is installing a warning system to alert drivers when freight trains approach.
- 3
- Trains in 25 minutes
- More than 1 kilometre
- Freight train length
- More than 5 minutes
- Blockage duration
- 23,000
- Planned new homes
Why it mattersFreight trains block inner-city crossings. This slows commuters and delays emergency responders. It also prevents the housing growth the region needs. Infrastructure must keep pace for this to work.
AustraliaNewcastle's traffic congestion and planned housing expansion depend on the state government funding a major freight bypass that currently has no budget allocated.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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