By Sue Newman  January 16 2010

Shunting trains have created havoc in central Ashburton this week with blocked rail crossings causing lengthy traffic delays.

On more than one occasion in recent weeks, several crossings have been blocked for up to 20 minutes while slow trains shunted back and forth through the Ashburton rail yard.

 Vehicles were backed up for several blocks and pedestrians, fed up with waiting, were seen to climb between wagons.

 Both the Ashburton Guardian and Ashburton District Council fielded a number of calls from irate locals and travellers who were affected by the delays.

 The central Ashburton shunting yard has created on-going problems for motorists for many years with long trains and shunting trains holding up traffic.

 And for years solutions, such as moving the rail yard out of town have been discussed.

 A new shunting yard is planned for the Ashburton business park currently under development north of Ashburton.

 This siding would see the central town yard moved and with it the problems of traffic snarl-ups due to blocked rail crossings.

 However a change in Central Government funding policies for transport has put this move in jeopardy.

 Ashburton District Council chief executive Brian Lester said the move was included in the regional transport plan as an approved project, but the policy change meant the government would not fund non-roading work included in the plan.

 “While this hasn’t stopped the project, it certainly means from the point of view of council the funding barrier has suddenly become a lot higher,” he said.

 The policy change however, did not change the council’s commitment to move the rail yard.

 “We are still determined to make this happen, we are still in discussions with KiwiRail and I don’t believe they have a problem with the principle of the idea. It’s certainly a priority for us to have this happen.”

 Mr Lester said he had experience first-hand of this week’s congestion and of watching two children clambering over the carriages of the stationary train because they were fed up waiting for it to move.

 “This really highlighted the danger. It’s not just about traffic congestion.”

 When the rail yard moves, all shunting activity will then take place on a siding developed as part of the business park.

 Thursday’s extended shunting was out side normal operation procedure KiwiRail spokesperson Ruth Larsen said. “We are acutely aware of the need to keep traffic disruption to a minimum in Ashburton.”

 This was a one-off event, she said.