Swanage Railway General Discussion

Network Rail were going to fund the cost of building the ramps, but after being turned down by the intransigence of the local authorities over two designs, NR have decided not to fund the ramps.

The standoff being perpetuated by local councillors is ridiculous, NR offered time and again to build ramps to the existing footbridge to provide “step free” crossing of the railway when the level crossing is closed. Local councillors don’t want the level crossing closed so they block the ramps at every opportunity plus organise these silly meetings to make a fuss.

 

Can the local council actually stop the closure of the level crossing if an alternative (and safer) means of crossing the railway is being provided?

Peter

 

Lifts wont be installed as not suitable due the amount of people that use the crossing, NR funding towards a replacement bridge runs out March 2019, the crossing is a permissive ROW and leased to DCC and has 20 years left to run. NR will not just close the crossing and walk away.

 

The crossing was the original road out of Wareham towards the north, becoming a foot crossing when the new road bridge was built a little way to the east. The original road before the railway arrived would have been a public right of way. When and how did its status change to permissive, subject to the railway (and currently leased to the Council)?

I visited last year just before the West Coast operated service ceased for the season. I don't recall seeing any sign of a security guard but it did seem that it would be difficult to force one's way onto the crossing when the gates were closed. What is the present situation? If it is still possible to force one's way across, why not just improve the fences?

 

Steve - you seem to be implying that everyone would have to use the lift to cross the railway. Most places that have a lift installed have it incorporated in the footbridge structure so that everyone's needs are catered for.

Peter

 

Security Guard still in his hut I believe 363 days a year, (even if trains are not running due to engineering works) paid for by Dorset Council.
Everyone is still so entrenched in their positions more chance of Donald and Kim signing a deal tomorrow.
Locals seem not accept crossings are misused, bridge proposal too ugly and/or ramps too steep. Believe I read they feel a lift unacceptable as well as would be vandalised.
They are also some bizarre ideas around, best one I saw was NR only want to close it so they can increase line speed to allow trains to run on the new line that will be built from Weymouth to Portland to allow for trains to run for the cruise ships at Portland.

 

Thank you for confirming that. Clearly one option for the Council, and from their point of view perhaps the least worst given the objections to the alternatives, is to maintain the status quo for as long as the lease lasts. But what is wrong with improving the fences? Ten foot fences with razor wire at the top would be ugly, but perhaps less ugly than the proposed ramps. Anyone who forces their way through when the gate is closed would be in the same situation as someone doing so at a place where no crossing exists.

Some footbridges with incorporated lifts are within stations, behind ticket barriers where those are present, but there certainly are some in public areas where people other than rail passengers with tickets can use and abuse them (though I recall the one at Kilkenny station being out of service when I was there on the RPSI long weekend last year).

 

My apologies for seeming to imply....not my intention
A lift is not suitable and is not the preferred option

 

Am afraid you are slightly incorrect.
When the bypass was built the road crossing was closed off along with the rights of way. There was never a legal public pedestrian right of way across the railway. When it was all closed off the local council realised their error and negotiated a lease for a permissive ROW which the public can use. The lease expired 25 years later and has been renewed for another 25 year (2013) and it wont be renewed after it expires.
Hope this explains

 

Sorry oh so wrong.....typical railway rumour

 

What did I say that was incorrect? Are you saying that there was never a public right of way even before the railway arrived?

 

Yes ..there was never a legal pedestrian right of way across the railway...

 

Out of interest, is any Level Crossing a public right of way? Or have they always been by permission of the Railway?

 

I'm intrigued by this problem, Steve. I do not see why a lift is unsuitable in Wareham yet it works well in so many other places. If, as you say, it is not the preferred option do we know what is?

Sorry to badger you with so many questions

Peter

 

Ramped footbridge is the preferred option.

Lifts out of the equation due to being unsuitable as a replacement for a footpath crossing.

 

Might not be in keeping with the surrounding area, bit of a toffee nosed bunch in Wareham.

 

Prefered by whom I wonder - they are a monstrosity and I am unsure what they achieve that is not catered for by a combined lift/footbridge, which would take up far less space.

Peter

 

I’m struggling to see how a combination lift + footbridge is an unsuitable replacement for a flat crossing in a way that a ramped footbridge isn’t.

Tom

 

Are there likely to be any speaker announcements?
Doors Opening etc.

That may have an affect on local residents within 100m of the lift site.