Civic leaders and members of the community said an overpass was the only solution and should be built now before traffic delays costs someone's life.

Government agencies have lobbied for the past two years to replace the dangerous New England Highway crossing, which residents claim is already delaying emergency services who have to wait for trains to pass.

While the crossing is closed for 10 minutes several times a day to allow coal trains along the Great Northern Railway Line, it is tipped to get worse with a forecast 500 per cent increase in coal haulage between the Gunnedah basin and Newcastle in the next three to five years.

There is a second rail crossing 580 metres along the Merriwa road but because of the length of coal trains (1.5 kilometres) the crossings are closed concurrently leaving motorists with no alternative but to sit and wait until the trains pass.

Nationals candidate for Hunter Michael Johnsen said the crossing accommodated several trains a day closing the crossing for 10 minutes at a time. This figure was expected to jump to 20 trains a day by 2015.

"We have been calling on the federal government to move on this because the line is on a national highway," Mr Johnsen said.

He said the estimated cost of an overpass was about $30 million according to engineering specialists.

To put this figure in perspective, The Herald calculates that 20 trains each carrying 7200 tonnes of Hunter coal would be worth about $17 million at today's prices and exchange rates.

Upper Hunter Council general manager Daryl Dutton said the push for an overpass started in 2008 when coal trains went from 42 unit to 72 unit trains.

"The council raised its objections, then ARTC put out a strategic planning document which said there would be a 500 per cent increase in coal haulage. This would mean that the crossing would be closed effectively for four hours each day," Mr Dutton said.

Mr Dutton said a recent rail incident forced the closure of both crossings for half an hour.

He said if emergency services needed to get from one side of the town to the other it could mean the difference between life and death.