Media centre

Wednesday 24 Apr 2013

Network Rail to build a new footpath over Robinswood badgers

Region & Route:

| Wales & Western: Western

| Wales & Western

Network Rail has started work to construct a new public footpath at Robinswood in Gloucester – including a raised walkway over an active badger sett.

The footpath will replace the old level crossing, which was closed by a temporary closure order in June 2006. Prior to then, the crossing had the highest number of reported trespass and vandalism incidents for any public footpath crossing on the Western region of the railway network.

Robin Basu, Network Rail community relations manager for Western region, said: “Level crossings pose the greatest single risk to the operation of the railway and there are very few opportunities to close such crossings particularly in an urban environment.

“Following a public inquiry in 2008, having decided that there was a need to retain a way to cross the railway safely, the Inspector recommended the crossing should remain closed whilst Network Rail investigated the feasibility of alternative routes and funding.

“Working with both Gloucestershire County and Gloucester City councils, and with the local community, we were eventually able to make available a strip of land on which to build a new path to avoid a detour of up to 1000 metres using existing pavements.”

However, following initial ground clearance, the discovery of an active badger sett brought work to a halt as Network Rail commissioned an environmental survey by specialist firm RSK Environment Ltd.

The study, carried out under guidance from Natural England, concluded that the badger sett would need to remain and required a raised walkway to carry the path over the sett.

Although the principle seemed simple enough, contractor AMCO Rail, working with ATKINS design consultants, faced a challenge in the design brief given the constraints of working next to the operational railway and alongside the community allotments, as well as ensuring that the path would not have excessive gradients and would be lit from end to end. Not least, the structure would also need to withstand the burrowing activities of the badgers.

Robin Basu added: “The Robinswood footpath diversion will provide a long-term solution to the problem, delivering a robust design which accommodates not only the needs of local people but the badger population as well.

“We would like to thank the community for their patience during the extended closure and look forward to completing the path within the next eight to 10 weeks.”