People living and working on the isle have been urged to travel on different days if possible
There will be no normal road access for 29-hours between Sunday, February 15 and Monday, February 16.(Image: Network Rail)
The public has been urged to plan ahead as “critical” planned works will prevent travel in and out of the Isle of Grain for 29-hours this February. Network Rail has announced that vital works are to be carried out at the Grain level crossing from 12.01am on Sunday, February 15.
Set to remain closed until 5am on Monday, February 16, crews will use this time to complete urgent railway repairs. A road closure will be required on the A228 Grain Road while these works are carried out.
Ahead of the closure, people living or working at Isle of Grain village are being asked to make journeys on an alternative day if possible. Network Rail has said that both the crossing and the track on the freight-only railway line have reached the end of their serviceable life and are showing signs of significant deterioration.
This has affected the road surface and the track beneath, creating an uneven surface and causing possible damage to the rails, which will “increase the risk of vehicle damage and discomfort for pedestrians, and a risk to rail freight operations”. Therefore, engineers will completely rebuild the crossing and replace the rails using a more robust, modern system designed to better withstand the heavy traffic that uses this route.
Other aspects of the project include the installation of underground ducts to accommodate new signalling cables, supporting a future scheme to upgrade the existing signalling and barriers. Special arrangements will be made to accommodate the public throughout the duration of the works.
Free accessible minibuses will be available to transport local residents and workers from Isle of Grain village to the level crossing, where people will be escorted by marshals over the level crossing and then able to pick up the Arriva bus service on the opposite side of the crossing, as well as in the opposite direction. There will be no normal vehicle access over Grain level crossing during the entire 29-hours.
Only emergency services including police, ambulance, fire and rescue and NHS on-call workers, including mental health staff and people on dialysis, will be able to be escorted through the BP Yard. Railway-owned land is being allocated for a limited number of parking spaces on the opposite side of the crossing on the A228 Grain Road, near to Lower Stoke.
Parking is provided by Network Rail as part of the mitigation scheme and all vehicles are parked entirely at their owners’ risk. Where possible, residents and workers are encouraged to car-share in order to help maximise the availability of car parking spaces.
All vehicles must be parked in the designated area between 7pm and 9pm on Saturday, February 14. Network Rail has advised any residents who would like to use the mitigation parking area to contact communityrelationssouthern@networkrail.co.uk quoting ‘Grain Level Crossing – Mitigation Parking’ to give an indication of the number of vehicles that are likely to use the parking area.
Bob Coulson, Infrastructure Director for the Southeastern Railway, said: “We want to thank residents of Isle of Grain village and people who work in the area, and we are liaising closely with Medway Council regarding these critical works and working on ways to and also including ways to reduce the impact on residents. We aim to make any inconvenience as manageable as possible.
“We explored the option of using an existing relief road adjacent to the crossing, which sits on railway land, but unfortunately it wasn’t possible to put this alternative route in place. Even at low speeds, it would be extremely difficult for larger vehicles to safely navigate. The physical condition of this particular road also means that it’s not a practical or safe option as a temporary diversion.
“We also reviewed an alternative access route through the BP oil terminal, however due to the nature of their operations and the presence of highly flammable aviation fuel, only the emergency services will be able to have escorted access through that site. We ask that the local community plan ahead and make any journeys that need to be made on an alternative day if possible to ensure a smoother and less disrupted journey.”
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