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Monday 1 Jul 2013

Have your say: Designs for bridge at High Street level crossing

Region & Route:

Network Rail is holding two days of public events in Lincoln next week to seek comments on proposed designs for a new footbridge over the level crossing at Lincoln High Street.

The rail company wants to put an accessible bridge on two sites in the city - at High Street and Brayford Wharf East in order to reduce the risk of misuse at the crossings.

Phil Verster, Route Managing Director for Network Rail, explained: “High Street and Brayford Wharf level crossings are already of the highest possible safety design. Despite this every day we see people taking risks by rushing across the crossings when the warnings have begun and even lifting or climbing over the barriers.

“We have been taking advice from City of Lincoln and Lincolnshire County Council representatives and specialists from English Heritage and the Environment Agency to try and find a suitable solution for these sites. In March we received planning permission for a footbridge at Brayford Wharf East. Detailed construction planning is being completed in partnership with Lincolnshire County Council and construction will begin on site in the Autumn.

“The complexities of the High Street site have led to a longer design phase but we believe we now have good designs for this site too and will be holding public exhibitions on Friday 12 and Saturday 13 July for the people of Lincoln to give us their comments.”

Designs can be viewed in Network Rail’s incident vehicle which will be parked at Lincoln Station from 10.00 – 19.00 on Friday 12 July and 10.00 – 13.00 on Saturday 13 July.

Network Rail has also released CCTV from April this year which shows a group of pedestrians risking their life by recklessly climbing over the barriers at High Street level crossing and crawling underneath a stationary train.

Mr Verster added: “These individuals had a very lucky escape. Because of the length of freight trains the driver had no way of seeing the reckless actions of this group and pulls away just seconds after they emerge on the other side. These images reinforce the need for us to take action at both level crossing sites in the city to provide safe access over the railway with no possibility of contact with trains.”