Barriers down and no trains running. That’s what to expect for long periods this autumn.
Six crossings in Liss, Petersfield, Tilmore and Sheet are affected between the end of September and November.
The crossing at Liss Common will be shut for four weeks from 27 September until 24 October.
Upgraded equipment and new barriers are being installed. Network Rail says it will make local level crossings safer but slower.
You’ll be waiting for up to 2 minutes and 24 seconds longer every time the barriers close.
Safer but slower
At some crossings the old half barriers will be replaced by full barriers. It will mean longer waits while trains pass.
In Sheet and at Kingsfernsden Lane between Tilmore and Ramshill the wait will be more than four times longer than it is at the moment.
A “nine day blockade” is the language being used by railway managers to describe the closures. Replacement buses will be running while the tracks are closed to trains.
Henry Davis from Network Rail is speaking to Shine Radio’s Stephen Martin at Liss railway station.
Estimated wait time increases
Network Rail says you’ll wait longer for the barriers to lift after the new technology is in place.
| Crossing | Average waiting time now | Waiting time after the changes | Wait change |
| Petersfield railway station | 3’18” | 3’24” | 6″ longer |
| Liss railway station | 3’53” | 3’53” | No change |
| School Lane Sheet | 44″ | 3’07” | 2’23” longer |
| Kingsfernsden Lane | 42″ | 3’06” | 2’24” longer |
| Princes Bridge | 1’16” | 2’54” | 1’38” longer |
| Liss Common | 48″ | 2’50” | 2’02” longer |
Data: Network Rail estimates. Indicative and may vary with service patterns and time of day.
Full closure schedule
Petersfield level crossing will only be closed overnight. The others will be 24 hour closures.
| Crossing | Work starts | Work ends |
| Petersfield railway station | Saturday 25 October | Sunday 2 November |
| Liss railway station | Sunday 26 October | Monday 3 November |
| School Lane Sheet | Saturday 25 October | Monday 3 November |
| Kingsfernsden Lane | Saturday 4 October | Friday 24 October |
| Princes Bridge | Saturday 11 October | Saturday 25 October |
| Liss Common | Saturday 27 September | Friday 24 October |
When are trains replaced by buses?
| Saturday 25 October and Saturday 1 November | There will be three buses every hour running between Havant and Haslemere and stopping at Petersfield. One bus per hour will call at Liss. |
| Sunday 26 October and Sunday 2 November | There will be two buses every hour running between Havant and Haslemere and stopping at Petersfield. One bus per hour will call at Liss. |
| Monday 27 October to Friday 31 October | There will be three buses every hour running between Havant and Haslemere and stopping at Petersfield. One bus per hour will call at Liss. |
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As a resident of Tilmore Gardens it appears that there are 3 options for getting out from where I live depending upon where I’m going:
School Lane Sheet which is barely suitable for one way traffic, let alone two. Up the hill to Steep, again actually dangerous visibility towards the top of the hill which is also dangerously narrow. Tilmore Road to Station Road which has always been a dreadful place to get out and again effectively single lane for most of the way. Traffic on Station Road leads to often long waits and long queues as one waits to get out especially when the level crossing is closed. Kingsfernden Lane provides access to 3 schools, Sheet, Steep and Bedales and the ensuing chaos for all concerned can easily be imagined. A desire to improve crossing safety was compromised somewhat by Network Rail putting up the information poster precisely where it created a blind spot for traffic coming out of Long Lane. I assume that some public spirited motorist moved it to a safer place.
Apart from a generic ‘safety’ reason is there any specific data on why timing has been increased by so much on the Liss Common crossing. Why was the previously efficient crossing time been changed so drastically? Surly this will encourage people to try to get past closing gates or take the risk of running across to avoid what they see as an unnecessarily long wait?
Does anyone know whether the crossings remain open to pedestrians whilst they are closed to traffic? I haven’t been able to find this information anywhere!
Hi Nick.
I’m a travel reporter at Shine Radio and attended the Network Rail drop in on Monday on behalf of the station. I told them listener Nick was wondering about this – and they said the crossings would sadly be closed to both road traffic AND pedestrians.
Hope this helps,
Orien