A Farnham resident has spoken out about the time lost due to delays at the town’s level crossing, calling for action to address what he sees as unnecessary disruptions.

Stephen Jackson believes the level crossing barriers lower too early when a train arrives at the station, rather than only when a train is passing through.

He suspects the system is automatically triggered when trains reach Aldershot and Alton, leading to prolonged waiting times. Based on his calculations, he estimates he has spent a total of 21 days of his life simply waiting for the barriers to lift.

Beyond personal inconvenience, Mr Jackson is concerned about the wider impact on traffic congestion and air pollution.

Vehicles often idle for extended periods, with queues forming down Station Hill and onto the bypass. He warns that the situation will only worsen once the 150 home development in Waverley Lane is completed, introducing hundreds more cars into the area.

Mr Jackson said: “Already residents who live south of the crossing waste an inordinate time in queues, emitting much carbon dioxide in the process. This will only get exacerbated once the 150 house development in Waverley Lane is complete, adding many 100’s of cars into the mix.”

Mr Jackson took the matter to Farnham and Bordon MP Greg Stafford who received a response from Network Rail saying: “We are fully aware of the impact level crossings have on local communities across our railway network and strive to minimise road traffic congestion by ensuring that level crossings are down for the shortest time possible.”

The company also provided data from the past three months, showing that in October 2024, the crossing was activated 3,559 times, averaging 114 per day and six per hour.

In November 2024, there were 3,246 activations, averaging 108 per day and six per hour over an 18-hour period. In December 2024, the crossing was activated 2,847 times, averaging 91 per day and five per hour over an 18-hour period.

If the barriers are down for an average of 3 minutes and 18 seconds each time, waiting once a day would add up to 20 hours over a year. Over a decade, this would amount to eight days of waiting.

Mr Jackson calculated that, as he passes through the level crossing at least once a day, he has spent more than 500 hours - equivalent to 21 days - of his life simply waiting for the barriers to lift.

Network Rail also highlighted that Farnham’s level crossing is one of the most misused in the region, with 36 incidents reported in the past year. It suggested that such incidents contribute to the way the crossing is managed.

Mr Jackson, however, dismissed this explanation, questioning whether driver behaviour was truly the cause of delays.

He said: "So apparently naughty Farnham drivers are to blame. Is that what they are saying?

“So rather than lazy level crossing scheduling, if there were less incidents, would they open the gates longer?”

He also challenged Network Rail’s claim that three-minute waits are acceptable, arguing that his personal experience suggests much longer delays.

“There is no thought of addressing a situation, which will only get worse with increased housing planned and thus more through traffic and consequent delays and more pollution generated.”

As traffic congestion continues to be a growing concern in Farnham, residents like Mr Jackson remain frustrated by what they see as inefficient rail operations affecting daily life.