Level crossing was closed 12 hours early due to "administrative error"

A vital route into Newark was completely blocked on one of the busiest days of the year – because a traffic management company mistakenly closed it from 10am instead of 10pm.

Christmas shoppers and bus companies were frustrated after the Newark Castle level crossing was closed on Saturday morning.

Network Rail was due to carry out work to install new, modern rails, and had scheduled the closure to begin at 10pm, extending into Sunday at 9pm.

However, when the information was passed on to Centurion Traffic Management – which is responsible for road closures in such circumstances – an error was made and the crossing was closed to traffic 12 hours earlier than scheduled.

The incident has heaped even more focus on Network Rail following level crossing failures at Newark Castle and elsewhere on the line to Nottingham.

It has apologised for Saturday's premature closure.

Both Mr Robert Jenrick, the MP for Newark, and Mr Roger Blaney, leader of Newark and Sherwood District Council, have been critical of the problems, which began shortly after the line was automated in November last year.

The latest problems, for which Centurion Traffic Management has accepted responsibility, have frustrated Network Rail given previous delays at the crossing.

A Network Rail spokesman said: “Due to an administrative error by Centurion Traffic Management, the B6326 Great North Road was closed over Newark Castle level crossing at 10am on Saturday, rather than 10pm as per our agreement.

“Having communicated the 10pm closure time to residents and businesses as well as providing shuttle buses and attendants at the crossing during the planned periods of closure, we are immensely frustrated by this mistake and we are sorry that this has led to entirely avoidable disruption for the people of Newark. We will be working alongside Centurion to prevent any repeat of this in the future.”

'It was horrendous'

Centurion Traffic Management said it was carrying out an investigation to find out what had happened.

The most recent improvements will see around 1km of track removed and replaced, as part of Network Rail’s railway upgrade plan.

It is designed to provide a more reliable railway and reduce noise created when a train passes through.

A photograph tweeted out by the Newark Castle Station Twitter account showed a sign which suggested the closure would happen between 11am on Saturday and 2pm on Sunday.

Mr Kenneth Tagg, operations manager for Marshalls Coaches, of Sutton-on-Trent, said the surprise closure had caused chaos.

“It had a pretty massive impact,” he said. “We have four buses per hour using that route and they all had to divert. Because of the diversion, it meant that everywhere was busy.

“The delays on our services were up to half-an-hour.

“The roads are generally busier this time of year, too. It was horrendous.”

The remaining closures at Newark Castle level crossing are: Saturday, December 9, from 10.30pm to 8.30am on Sunday, December 10; Monday, December 11, to Friday, December 15, each night from 10.30pm to 6.40am.