newy.com.au – Transport for NSW has identified proposed sites near intersections on Bridges Road and Brunker Road for digital warning signs designed to help motorists avoid lengthy waits at Adamstown level crossing.
The signs are expected to be installed and operating by early 2027. The NSW Government says Adamstown will be the first location in the state to trial the technology.
The crossing carries both passenger and freight trains. The signs would warn approaching drivers when extended freight train delays are expected, giving them a chance to choose another route before reaching the gates.
Developed by Transport for NSW, the system will use a wireless link between railway crossing equipment and the local traffic light controller. When the gates are activated for an extended period, an automatic signal will trigger warnings on electronic signs at key points on the surrounding road network.
While the sign may provide some relief, residents have long called for a permanent solution to delays at the Adamstown Gates, with community proposals including a road bridge or underpass to separate vehicles from trains, and diverting freight services away from the area. Council’s community consultation records show these demands stretch back to at least 2012.
Calls for an overpass or underpass were again raised in council’s 2026 consultation on development around Adamstown Station, with participants identifying the crossing as a major source of congestion. Alongside those community demands, City of Newcastle continues to press for the Lower Hunter Freight Corridor to proceed, providing a route around Newcastle for most freight trains and reducing disruptions at the gates.
For now, the system is intended to help drivers avoid queues rather than shorten the time the boom gates are down. The sign locations remain proposals.
Transport Minister John Graham acknowledged more work was needed in the longer term.
“We know there is more work to be done in the long term, but as soon as next year this tech solution will help people avoid the long waits.”
Roads and Regional Transport Minister Jenny Aitchison said advance warnings would allow motorists to pick a different route. She said the Newcastle and Charlestown MPs had advocated for measures to ease congestion at the crossing.
Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp said the Lower Hunter Freight Corridor remained the long term solution to congestion at the Adamstown Gates, while the digital signs would provide relief in the meantime.
