Upgrade works for a level crossing in Boston, Lincolnshire, are set to being in June, with the aim to improve reliability for the key freight services that travel. These construction works will require the closure of a section of the A16 (Spalding Road), set to commence from 7pm on Saturday 11 June until 2pm on Sunday 12 June. The closure will aid the engineers, as it will them to safely replace over 140 metres of rail through Boston Bypass level crossing.
The construction teams will work through the night to get the road ready to reopen for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists as soon as the upgrade is complete. A signed diversion will be in place throughout to help people get to their destinations.
Vincent Briggs, East Midlands Route Level Crossing Manager for Network Rail, said:
“This essential work will allow us to reliably transport vital freight goods to and from the town’s port for many years to come.
“We will need to close a major road into Boston to complete the upgrade safely, and I’m sorry for any inconvenience this causes. We’ll be doing the work overnight and have worked with Lincolnshire County Council to keep the impact as low as possible.”
Andy Lawrence, Port of Boston Director for Victoria Group, added:
“The Port of Boston are delighted that the upgrade is taking place. It is great for the network connection we have from the Port of Boston and the 260,000 tonnes a year of cargo that we put over it. This enables us to keep lorries off the road and dramatically reducing our carbon footprint by utilising rail.
“Rail Freight was important for the Port in 1884, when it was built, and it remains equally, if not more important in 2022, and the future, as we strive to divert even more cargo to the rail mode of transport, direct from a seaport.”
Improving the reliability of freight passage is integral for the economic growth of the rail industry across the UK, especially post-pandemic as the sector seeks to return to normality.
