14/10/17 Belmond British Pullman

Its fall so the diesel is making an appearance on the back, filmed at Gomshall where the largest most complicated overkill footbridge has appeared.

 

Filmed near Shere:

 

It is an unbelievable bridge at Gomshall, I've never seen one like it and I can't think of a station/village less in need of one!

 

I guess this bridge is one of those ramp and step jobs?

I fully understand the need for accessibility and safety, and realise they are required, but I still hate them with a vengeance.

Whereas a traditional relatively light structure adds to the railway scene, these monstrosities look totally alien in almost any railway setting.

 

It is, and then some more! I was there for Flying Scotsman back in the summer, tried to take a photo of the bridge but couldn't get it all in! It replaced a foot crossing which connected the platform so I get safety as you say but this really is out of keeping!

 

Thought about posting my video in the ‘Have a good laugh at really silly things’ thread. They’ve installed a device at the crossing which (loudly) sounds a two-tone air horn when a train approaches. It seems a bit incongruous in my shot that the horn sounds and is immediately followed by the arrival of a whistling steam engine.

 

Its actually the ghost of the 23:59 Reading to Gatwick 165 DMU that disappeared mysteriously several years ago.

 

Another completely over the top piece of work by NR. When will their out of control spending be stopped?

 

No doubt this death on the crossing at Gomshall in 2004: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/southern_counties/3588152.stm may have been a factor?

Agree completely about the OTT scale of it however..

 

A bit like the monstrosity they erected at Honeybourne when they (re)built the second platform in 2011. It towers over the station and the surrounding buildings. It'll look even more out of place if/when the GWSR extends there from Broadway.

 

Some stills from Byfleet & New Haw Station

 

This is it.

 

Considering the context, that is an appalling monstrosity. I don't accept the safety and accessibility argument. It is far more dangerous to cross a road than a railway line.

 

I have no love for NR but they are between a rock and a very hard place with crossings. The comment it is more dangerous to cross a road than a railway line is true, and in most cases unless deliberate a driver would not be blamed if a pedestrian walked in front of them. Not the case on the railway since the advent of zero personal responsibility for your own actions where a corporate body is involved stupidity becomes NR's fault. Hence you need to close crossings and build bridges, then they (rightly) have to comply with disability legislation so you end up with a monstrosity like this. Of course based on the arguments at Wareham currently even the users do not want them because they have to walk a bit further, but would not doubt blame NR if hit by a train on the crossing due to user abuse.
I see not option but for the rail network to become littered with these as trunk roads have.

 

In one respect walking across railways is safer than walking across many roads. Even the busiest railway has long enough intervals between trains for getting across, whereas you can wait for ages for a sufficient gap in road traffic.

 

People tend to cross railways at fewer locations, though. So a bridge is a much more feasible option to ensure greater safety than putting one at every point people cross roads.

Plus, presumably it's less disruptive to the operation of trains to have a bridge rather than a crossing.