Ashfield councillor says Network Rail are prioritising the wrong crossing after Sutton Forest upgrade is announced

An Ashfield councillor has said that Network Rail is prioritising the wrong crossing after it announced upgrade work at Sutton Forest next week.
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Councillor Matthew Relf, district councillor for Sutton Junction and Harlow Wood said that the company should be prioritising Sutton Junction instead, which tends to cause more significant delays in the area.

Coun Relf has campaigned alongside Councillor Samantha Deakin for years to improve the Sutton Junction Crossing which is regularly shut for up to ten minutes at a time.

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He said: “While I welcome Network Rail are continuing to improve the rail infrastructure, I am extremely disappointed that they continue to focus their time on the Sutton Forest crossing rather than the Sutton Junction crossing.

Councillors Matthew Relf and Samantha Deakin at the Sutton Junction CrossingCouncillors Matthew Relf and Samantha Deakin at the Sutton Junction Crossing
Councillors Matthew Relf and Samantha Deakin at the Sutton Junction Crossing
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“Everyone who knows this area will tell you that the Sutton Forest crossing on Coxmoor Road is very efficient and generally holds up traffic for about 30 seconds. It is clear that they are prioritising the wrong crossing.

“It is the Sutton Junction crossing on Station Road/Newark Road that causes the delays. It is regularly shut eight to 10 minutes at a time. This creates havoc in our area. It causes delays for those travelling through the area and causes potentially life-threatening dangers for local residents as some reckless drivers speed through the local estate to avoid the queues.

“I’ve said for some time that this is an accident waiting to happen.

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“Network Rail continue to refuse to engage with us on developing a plan for the Sutton Junction crossing but we will not accept this and we will continue to find new ways to escalate this issue until we get this sorted."

Vinny Briggs, route level crossing manager for Network Rail, said: “This work to improve Sutton Forest level crossing is essential so that it can continue operating safely and reliably in the future.

“Installing the new, modern barriers will help to reduce delays on the railway, meaning vital services can continue running reliably.

“We are working hard to minimise any disruption whilst this important work is carried out and would like to thank all those impacted for their patience.”

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