Christchurch Railway Crossings

Press, Volume C, Issue 29682, 28 November 1961, Page 16

Christchurch Railway Crossings

The Minister of Railways (Mr McAlpine) gave a courteous reply to representations from the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association for the reopening of the Durham street level crossing. He has promised to look into their case; but he has also reminded the manufacturers that the closing of the crossing was one of the terms of the Colombo street bargain. He might also have reminded them that the association seemed happy enough when the bargain was made. Bargain or no bargain, however, the closing of the Durham street crossing was probably inevitable, because a shunting yard cannot operate efficiently with a public road running squarely across it. Nor, for that matter, does a shunting yard make a very comfortable or convenient level crossing. What the Manufacturers’ Association and other Christchurch interests should be talking to Mr McAlpine about is co-operation on the Colombo street principle to provide better crossings further west. The recent report by the Regional Planner (Mis* Nancy Northcroft) on the implications of traffic growth showed the urgency of providing relief for the congestion to be expected on Colombo street and Lincoln road within the next 20 years. Whatever solution is tried must include at least one bridge over the railway. Certainly Durham street, covering a short length and divided by an

inherently bad level crossing, is no solution. The Railways Department will make a handsome annual saving on closing the crossing; and the City Council will presumably get a windfall from the value of the land no longer required as access to the crossing. These would be two useful contributions towards attacking the problem described by Miss Northcroft. It is not too soon to interest the Railways Department in principle in such a project: it is years too late to argue about Durham street.