Long-Running Rail Crossing Campaign Nears Resolution

The conclusion of a 12-year campaign to preserve a pedestrian level crossing adjacent to a railway station is anticipated later today. Since 2012, protesters have opposed a proposal by Network Rail to close the facility in Wareham, Dorset. Actor Edward Fox OBE, a supporter of the campaign, stated that a ground-level route across the rail line was of “vital importance” to the town’s residents. However, a Dorset Council report has recommended replacing the crossing with ramps leading to a footbridge, despite the failure of three previous similar schemes. More than 200 people attended a protest on Saturday against the closure plan. Edward Fox said: “This would cut the town in half, an extraordinary notion in itself, isolate vulnerable residents for whom it would be impossible to use the steep ramps and prevent schoolchildren from cycling to school.” There has been no road level crossing next to Wareham station since the town’s bypass was constructed in 1973. In 2010, manually-operated gates were installed at the pedestrian crossing, after Network Rail reported a high number of people ignoring danger signals. Two years later, the rail authority announced its intention to shut the crossing as part of a national programme of closures. A proposal for replacement ramps was abandoned in 2013 because it was “not able to be constructed”, according to Dorset Council. Planning permission for further ramps was refused in 2015 and 2018. Nevertheless, the authority is proposing the idea for a fourth time. Previously, it had stated that the ramps would “provide a safer, permanent crossing facility”. Council cabinet members are recommended to approve the ramp later and to negotiate with Network Rail over contributions to the £4.7m cost. The authority indicated it was currently paying £120,000 a year for crossing attendants to open the gates, and may alter their hours when a new contract is agreed next year. Pedestrians must use the existing stepped footbridge when the attendants are not working. You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.