SURREY County Council has questioned what impacts additional “down-time” of the Farnham station level crossing could have on Farnham’s congested road network, should plans for a new half-hourly rail service to Guildford go ahead.

South Western Railway (SWR) launched a public consultation on its December 2018 timetable in September last year, which included a proposed return to the original Farnham to Guildford services abandoned decades ago in favour of an interchange at Aldershot.

This has been largely welcomed by the Alton Line Users Association, Farnham rail passengers and the local business community.

However, some have expressed concern that a doubling of trains using the Station Hill level crossing, from four to eight per hour, will “inevitably” increase the length of time the level crossing barriers will be closed - potentially holding up traffic and increasing air pollution.

SWR’s consultation closed on December 22, and the rail operator is currently collating the feedback before presenting its revised plans to the Department for Transport and then Network Rail for approval in March.

Although the full content of Surrey County Council’s response is unknown, Paul Millin, group manager of the council’s Strategic Transport Group, told councillors last month that additional closures of the Farnham station level crossing would be addressed with the rail operator.

Responding to a question by Farnham town councillor David Beaman at the December 8 meeting of the Waverley Local Committee, Mr Millin said: “The county council will be responding to the South Western Railway consultation.

“This will include raising the issues and impacts of additional level crossing down time at key crossing points if the changes proposed are taken forward for further development and implementation on December 9, 2018.”

It came after Mr Beaman observed that the Farnham level crossing barriers are currently closed for around 10 minutes per hour - but he predicts this could increase to “a minimum” of 18 minutes per hour under SWR’s changes.

The Farnham Residents councillor added: “The closure of these level crossing barriers already causes traffic congestion with traffic on many occasions being backed up down Station Hill and across the bypass into South Street and beyond which is one of the factors contributing to poor air quality in Farnham town centre.”

• Farnham could soon be boosted by direct rail services to the Surrey Research Park, University of Surrey and Royal Surrey County Hospital after a new station at Park Barn, Guildford, took a major step forward.

Guildford Borough Council has pledged to set aside around £300,000 for a detailed study into the project in its 2018/19 budget, with the station targeted to be delivered between 2022 and 2029.

It comes after Surrey County Council suggested reintroducing direct trains between Farnham and Guildford with a new station at Park Barn as part of its Rail Strategy in 2013, commenting that this would “improve rail access to employment centres”.