Nottingham Rail Footbridge Closure Pilot Scheduled for Nearly Three Weeks

A trial initiative involving the closure of a public footbridge at Nottingham railway station is scheduled to operate for just under three weeks. This footbridge, which links Station Street with Queen’s Road, had its access to platforms one through six restricted starting Monday. East Midlands Railway (EMR) stated that the access was blocked as a measure to curb fare evasion, noting that “a minority of determined people” had been utilizing the bridge to travel without paying. The company has now confirmed that the trial will conclude on November 17, followed by a review designed to “evaluate its effectiveness”. The footbridge linking these streets continues to be designated as a public right of way, and individuals will retain the ability to reach the tram stop located on Station Street. EMR had previously indicated that recent revenue collection activities at the station revealed a significant incidence of travel without tickets. Philippa Cresswell, EMR’s customer service director, commented: “We have a duty to protect revenue – which is ultimately taxpayers’ money and fare-paying customer’s money – and have been forced to take this action.” An EMR spokesperson further stated: “The Nottingham overbridge pilot will run until November 17th, after which we will conduct a review to evaluate its effectiveness.”