Three traditional manually-operated signal boxes on a Shropshire railway line are due to close next year under a multi-million pound modernisation plan by Network Rail.

The three manually operated level crossings – at Harlescott Lane in Shrewsbury, Wem and Prees – will be replaced by computerised systems that will be managed from a control centre in Cardiff.

Network Rail today confirmed that staff who work in the signal boxes will be redeployed after the changes.

The closures are part of a £25 million project by Network Rail which will see seven traditional crossings on the Shrewsbury to Crewe railway line replaced with the new system.

But the move has concerned members of the Shrewsbury Railway Trust who fear the new system will not be as effective as the manually operated signal boxes.

Russell Mulford, from the Shrewsbury Railway Trust, said: “It will mean the end of signal boxes operated round the clock by signallers operating crossing gates manually – a system which has proved extremely safe over more than a century.

“What concerns me is will this new system be just as foolproof as the old system has proved to be?

“It is accepted that Harlescott Crossing and Wem are particularly busy road crossings. If there is a glitch at the Harlescott Lane level crossing then some bloke in Cardiff will have to deal with it which could cause chaos.”

But Network Rail officials say the new system will be an improvement.

Keith Lumley from Network Rail said: “It will be no different to many other centralised systems across the UK. The level crossings will be covered by CCTV control.

“The fact that the level crossings will be monitored from several miles away should not make the slightest bit of difference. It can actually make it statistically safer as getting people out to fix the problem can be very quick because the people who are monitoring the crossing will know precisely who to call from the technical side.”

Network Rail bosses say work has already started on the project which is due to be completed next year.

The plans do not include Shrewsbury’s historic Severn Bridge Junction which will remain open until at least 2030.