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Northern Line cycleway level crossing upgrades
We’re working with KiwiRail to complete essential renewals and safety upgrades at the railway level crossings on Harewood, Langdons and Sawyers Arms roads.
In 2024, we renewed the railway tracks and foundations on Harewood Road and installed new signalised pedestrian crossings and automatic railway gates at the Harewood and Langdons level crossings to support the Northern Line cycleway, which runs along the railway corridor.
In early 2025, we installed a signalised pedestrian crossing at the Sawyers Arms Road level crossing, along with other upgrades.
Next, we'll be transitioning all three crossings from using the old signals and bells to the new ones, approximately by mid-2025.
Find more information in the sections below.
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In 2024, we worked on the Harewood Road railway level crossing to improve safety and access for pedestrians and cyclists using the Northern Line cycleway, which runs along the railway corridor.
We've partnered with KiwiRail to deliver a range of safety upgrades, including a signalised pedestrian crossing that will make it safer and easier to get across the busy road. We've also replaced the full length of the railway track across the road and installed new foundations.
In addition, automatic railway gates have been installed to make it safer for pedestrians/cyclists on Harewood Road to cross the tracks. The gates will also be used by people using the cycleway, as it crosses from being on the western railway corridor to the eastern side at Harewood Road.
The new signalised pedestrian crossings and automatic railway gates will not be commissioned for use until after work at all three crossings is complete, in early to mid-2025.
This is because the new pedestrian crossings, automatic railway gates and new flashing lights and bells have been designed in one new interlocking signalling system across Harewood Road, Langdons Road and Sawyers Arms Road railway crossings.
Upgrade works at all three crossings must be completed before the switchover can happen from the old signalling system to the new one.
Why an upgrade is needed
The average daily traffic on Harewood Road, recorded at a traffic counter(external link) beside the railway crossing, is 13,840.
On the Northern Line cycleway, which crosses Harewood Road, there are more than 500 daily cycle trips recorded on average (data is recorded at the Fendalton Road railway crossing).
Students walking on foot to Papanui High School – just north of Harewood Road and accessible by the Northern Line cycleway – will also benefit from the signalised crossing.
Due to the higher traffic volumes and risk at Harewood Road, we incorporated more significant railway crossing upgrades into the design of the cycleway at this location, to ensure the safety of cyclists and pedestrians.
Significant track renewal works were also completed in the Harewood Road railway crossing upgrade to improve the road and track's resilience. These measures were required to comply with current KiwiRail standards.
Renewals and safety upgrades
We've installed:
- A new concrete slab foundation across the road with a full-length railway track replacement.
- New traffic signals and foundations, to create a signalised pedestrian/cycleway crossing.
- Automatic pedestrian railway gates and foundations, for safe access across the railway tracks on both sides of the crossing.
- Additional flashing lights and bells.
- Fencing to guide pedestrians into the safe crossing points.
- Advanced detector loops on the cycleway that connect with the signals.
- A raised platform on Restell Street to encourage safe speeds.
We also relocated underground utilities, widened the shared path areas, made landscaping enhancements and completed a range of engineering improvements to the railway crossing.
These upgrades will help to ensure everyone can get to where they need to go, safely and easily.
In 2024, we worked on the Langdons Road railway level crossing to improve safety and access for pedestrians and cyclists using the Northern Line cycleway, which runs along the railway corridor.
We’ve been partnering with KiwiRail to deliver a range of safety upgrades, including a signalised pedestrian crossing that will make it safer and easier to get across the busy road.
We've also installed automatic pedestrian gates to make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists on Langdons Road to cross the tracks.
The new signalised pedestrian crossings and automatic railway gates will not be commissioned for use until after work at all three crossings is complete, in early to mid-2025.
This is because the new pedestrian crossings, automatic railway gates and new flashing lights and bells have been designed in one new interlocking signalling system across Harewood Road, Langdons Road and Sawyers Arms Road railway crossings.
Upgrade works at all three crossings must be completed before the switch over can happen from the old signalling system to the new one.
Why an upgrade is needed
The average daily traffic on Langdons Road, recorded at a traffic counter(external link) beside the railway crossing, is 12,535.
On the Northern Line cycleway, which crosses Langdons Road, there are more than 500 daily cycle trips recorded on average (data is recorded at the Fendalton Road railway crossing).
Additionally, students walking on foot to Papanui High School – just north of Langdons Road and accessible by the Northern Line cycleway – will benefit from the signalised crossing.
As with Harewood and Sawyers Arms roads, Langdons Road has higher traffic volumes and risk than other roads along the cycleway route.
Due to this, we planned more significant railway crossing upgrades into the design of the cycleway at this location, to ensure the safety of cyclists and pedestrians.
These measures were required to comply with current KiwiRail standards.
We’re doing the upgrades now, as our programme and resourcing are coordinated with KiwiRail, who have availability for the Harewood Road and Langdons Road works in 2024.
Safety upgrades
We've installed:
- New traffic signals and foundations, to create a signalised pedestrian/cycleway crossing.
- Automatic pedestrian railway gates for safe access across the railway tracks on both sides of the crossing.
- Additional flashing lights and bells.
- Fencing to guide pedestrians into the safe crossing points.
- Advanced detector loops on the cycleway that connect with the signals.
- Upgraded street lighting.
We've also widened the shared path areas, made landscaping enhancements, and completed a range of engineering improvements at the railway crossing.
These upgrades will help to ensure everyone can get to where they need to go, safely and easily.
In early 2025, we worked on the Sawyers Arms Road railway level crossing to improve safety and access for pedestrians and cyclists using the Northern Line cycleway, which runs along the railway corridor.
We’ve been partnering with KiwiRail to deliver a range of safety upgrades, including a signalised pedestrian crossing that will make it safer and easier to get across the busy road.
The new signalised pedestrian crossings and automatic railway gates will not be commissioned for use until after work at all three crossings is complete, in early to mid-2025.
This is because the new pedestrian crossings, automatic railway gates and new flashing lights and bells have been designed in one new interlocking signalling system across Harewood Road, Langdons Road and Sawyers Arms Road railway crossings.
Upgrade works at all three crossings must be completed before the switch over can happen from the old signalling system to the new one.
Why an upgrade is needed
The average daily traffic on Sawyers Arms Road, recorded at a traffic counter(external link) beside the railway crossing, is 5,310.
On the Northern Line cycleway, which intersects Sawyers Arms Road, there are more than 500 daily cycle trips recorded on average (data is recorded at the Fendalton Road railway crossing).
Students walking on foot to Papanui High School – just south of Sawyers Arms Road and accessible by the Northern Line cycleway – will also benefit from the signalised crossing.
While Sawyers Arms Road has higher traffic volumes and risk than other roads along the cycleway route, it has less than half the traffic volume of Harewood and Langdons roads.
To reflect this, the signalised crossing was planned into the design of the cycleway at this location, but not the automatic pedestrian gates. Instead, design features help to ensure pedestrians and cyclists have a clear view of the track in both directions prior to crossing.
These measures comply with current KiwiRail standards.
Safety upgrades
We've installed:
- New traffic signals and foundations, to create a signalised pedestrian/cycleway crossing.
- Barriers (pictured) fixed with ‘Look for trains’ signage, designed to ensure pedestrians and cyclists have a clear view of the track in both directions prior to crossing.
- Additional flashing lights and bells.
- Fencing to guide pedestrians into the safe crossing points.
- Advanced detector loops on the cycleway that connect with the signals.
- Upgraded street lighting.
We’ve also widened the shared path areas, putting in new ducting and drainage, renewing kerb and channel; making landscaping enhancements and completing a range of engineering improvements to the railway crossing.
Where there was a painted cycle lane connecting the Northern Line cycleway with the Papanui Parallel cycleway, we constructed a separate cycle lane to upgrade this important link in the cycleway network.
These upgrades will help to ensure everyone can get to where they need to go, safely and easily.
Benefits of shared path cycleways
Shared path cycleways make it safer and easier to bike and scooter around Christchurch, while also providing convenient routes for walking or running. Whether used as a way to get to work or school, or for recreation or even walking the dog, our major cycleway routes enable people to enjoy fun, affordable and healthy travel.
Cycle numbers are continuing to grow as as more routes link up different parts of the city. We want to make Christchurch a more liveable city and make it easier for people who are choosing cycling as their main mode of transport.
As our population grows, it benefits everyone when more people take up cycling to get around, as it helps to reduce congestion and emissions. When we construct or upgrade cycleways, we also make improvements that benefit the whole community.
For the Northern Line railway crossing upgrades, we've programmed our work to include KiwiRail renewals, such as the replacement of the train tracks and foundations on Harewood Road. This will ensure the long-term resilience of the railway level crossing, while reducing disruption to the area by combining all the work into one project.
Other community benefits include upgrades that will make it easier and safer to cross both the road and the railway tracks, improving access to local schools and retirement villages. We're also making landscaping enhancements. With the new signalised pedestrian crossings, the road environment at the cycleway crossing points will also be less hazardous for drivers travelling through the area.