Intersection Near Adamstown Rail Gates Set for Safety Upgrades

 BY PETER HYSLOP

The notorious intersection between Glebe Road and Park Avenue at the Adamstown rail gates is being given an upgrade.

Newcastle Council admits while it doesn't have powers to provide an overpass instead of the gates, it's hoped new traffic lights synced with the crossing will improve traffic flow.

Newcastle Mayor Ross Kerridge says he hopes the upgrades will go a long way to fixing the crash black spot.

"There have been a lot of accidents here over the years, we all know about that," he said.

"[We're] putting in traffic lights which will be coordinated with the gates mainly to improve safety.

"It's not going to be a magic solution to the traffic problems here, but it will make it safer," he said.

More than 1,700 vehicles per hour travel through the intersection in peak periods.

The project will include a realignment of the intersection to accommodate the traffic lights and the construction of a new median on Glebe Road.

Adamstown rail gates

Mayor Ross Kerridge and Federal Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon announcing the upgrades

Upgrades at Thornton Intersection delayed by several months

 BY OLIVIA GOELDNER 

Supply chain issues and ongoing wet weather have forced construction to temporarily cease on an intersection in Thornton. 

Upgrades to the Raymond Terrace Road and Government Road intersection can expect to be delayed by several months, pushing completion of the Thornton North intersection upgrade to the end of the year. 

It comes following current high demand from several other infrastructure projects across the Hunter, causing interruptions to the supply of road gravel from local quarries. 

Ongoing wet weather has also contributed not only to construction delays, but supply shortages as well. 

Maitland Council's Works Manager Ashley Kavanagh says the impacts have been felt across the region. 

"There's a lot of similar work happening across the Hunter Valley at the moment, and it's obviously having a knock on effect for all the projects that are currently under construction. 

"We've been working with contactors and Transport for NSW to look for alternative methods and suppliers but at this stage none of them have turned up with a different result." 

He thanks residents and commuters for their patience. 

Image courtesy of Maitland Council

Hunter Business Chamber Welcomes High-Speed Rail Commitment

BY LILLY HAINES

Labor will promise $1 billion dollars to begin securing a corridor for a high-speed rail link along the East Coast between Brisbane and Melbourne if elected to government.

A high-speed rail link would help improve connectivity between major cities and regions and would stop at key cities including Canberra, Sydney, and Newcastle.

The promised funding would be used to buy a land corridor for the future construction of the route and is a lengthy but essential step towards making the high-speed line a priority.

CEO of the Hunter Business Chamber Bob Hawes says the Newcastle and Hunter region would benefit from a high-speed line with faster rail connections, to Sydney in particular.

"Improved connectivity would also allow the Sydney people to have better access to our region which might have flow on benefits in terms of tourism and business investments, so that is where we see the potential main benefits coming from if such piece of infrastructure was put in place," Mr Hawes said.

Mr Hawes says the region would also benefit from an influx of residential and business investment, enhanced employment options, less road congestion, and better synergies with economic centres in Sydney and other areas along the route although it would take some time, possibly decades, before the benefits could be realised.

Although Mr Hawes welcomes Labor's commitment to securing a rail corridor, he says that it is a long-term solution and work on improving the current rail line between Newcastle and Sydney must continue.

"We certainly think that those two things have to run concurrently because we are of the view that the high speed rail would be some time off compared to the ability for government to be able to do something now to the current link that would make it faster."

Newcastle to Sydney Train Service. Image: Transport NSW

Newcastle Driverless Vehicle

BY KYLE CARROLL

A driverless vehicle is set to operate for the first time ever on Newcastle roads from next year.

The city of Newcastle is seeking proposals from qualified operators who'll run the technology, which is expected to carry 12 people at a time.

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the trial will cement Newcastle as a leader for testing emerging technologies, and further confirm our smart city status.

"This project provides yet another great opportunity to showcase Newcastle’s smart city initiatives to a national and international audience."

The autonomous shuttle would take people around Newcastle Harbour and the city's other scenic areas.

The trial will run for at least a year as part of the Newcastle Smart City Strategy, which received $5m funding through the Federal Government’s Smart Cities and Suburbs program last year.

“Our vision is to be a smart, liveable and sustainable global city by 2030," the Lord Mayor said.

Driverless Vehicle. Image: iMOVE CRC

Train Services to Wyong to Resume Soon

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

Following a day of buses replacing trains between the Newcastle Interchange and Wyong, services are set to resume this afternoon.

NSW TrainLink announced the first Newcastle to Central line running through Wyong will depart the Newcastle Interchange at 2:21pm.

Until then, buses will continue to replace trains between Fassifern and Wyong as urgent repairs to overhead wiring are carried out.