A recommendation that would result in the scrapping of the ground level pedestrian crossing across the tracks at Wareham station in Dorset has been thrown out after protestors argued that the alternatives were impractical.
Dorset Council was set to approve redesigning the footbridge with ramps or lifts to make it accessible but the item was dramatically pulled from the agenda at the last moment at the council’s cabinet meeting on Tuesday 19th November 2024.
The pedestrian rail crossing connecting North Wareham and South Wareham costs Dorset Council £120,000 a year to staff
Manned crossing costs £120,000 a year
Despite a 12 year campaign by Wareham residents against a bridge scheme – and the knowledge that three other proposals to provide step-free ramps have all failed since 2013 – Dorset Council seemed set to press ahead with plans for an overhead crossing.
The council’s head of highways, Jack Wiltshire, had recommended collaborating with Network Rail to design ramped access to the existing footbridge at Wareham station – or, failing that, to provide lifts to reach the top of the bridge.
The current solution, a manned pedestrian crossing at ground level with electronic gates to stop the public using it when there are trains, costs the council £120,000 a year to staff.
Network Rail has confirmed that the crossing will close regardless in 2038 when the land lease expires, as part of a national programme of closures.
Mobility scooter users joined the protest at Wareham station, saying that only a ground level crossing will provide the accessibility they need
“It is imperative a solution is found”
But following a huge outcry from the town in which 250 residents protested against the plans outside the railway station and a petition raised many hundreds more names, the debate was cancelled to allow the member of parliament for Mid Dorset and North Poole, Vikki Slade to meet with the Office of Rail and Road to explore other possible solutions.
Vikki Slade said:
“The ongoing situation regarding the level crossing in Wareham is one of the key concerns in the constituency right now.
“It is imperative that a solution is found as it would be completely unacceptable for the town to be dissected by the loss of this crossing.
“Local people have made it very clear that they consider the crossing to be safe, in their view it is no different crossing at Wareham than a few miles down the track at Wool where the road goes across the line, and pedestrians use it without issue.
“Given the insistence that action must be taken, the community has been campaigning for the gates to be upgraded to automatic gates. This is by far the most straightforward solution.”
Wareham Station, where the rail line cuts the town in two
“This has been going on for over a decade”
Vikki Slade added:
“I am aware that the option of a ramp or lifts is in scope. We know that this is going to be incredibly expensive, is not wanted by local people and will have an impact on the listed buildings at the station as well as creating considerable disruption.
“I was advised there had been a previous commitment to work with the community and town councils but because this has not been undertaken I asked the leader of the council to withdraw the item from the cabinet meeting so we can secure an updated position and ensure that all options could be fully considered.
“This issue has been going on for over a decade, and the people of Wareham and Sandford need a resolution.”
An artist’s impression of a 2018 plan for a quarter of a mile long zigzag ramp which was rejected as impracticle
“I’ve agreed to defer this paper”
At the Dorset Council meeting, council leader Nick Ireland announced that no vote would be taken and said:
“I’ve listened to the views that have been expressed by Wareham Town Council, the local ward members Councillor Beryl Ezzard and Councillor Ryan Holloway, and many others.
“Following a meeting earlier today with Vikki Slade, MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole, I’ve agreed to defer this paper to enable her to meet with the Office of Rail and Road to finally bottom out the realistic options for the level crossing at Wareham Station.
“This paper may or may not come back at some future date.”
New MP Vikki Slade represents Wareham and will talk to the Office of Rail and Road about the crossing
An average 860 people use crossing daily
Now, Vikki Slade, whose constituency includes Wareham, hopes to find some solution which will satisfy around 6,000 residents of North Wareham who rely on the crossing to reach schools, medical facilities and shops in the main town.
An average 860 people use the crossing every day, of which 37 percent are cyclists, children, pram and pushchair users and the elderly with mobility problems.
They argue that they cannot use the existing footbridge with its steep steps and that ramps or lifts to reach the top of the bridge would be impractical because of a lack of space in front of the station.
Previous proposals to access the footbridge by step free ramps failed in 2013, 2015 and 2018, but a solution does need to be found soon.
The current crossing is heavily used by cyclists, school children and residents with prams and wheelchairs
“This town cannot be divided”
Mayor of Wareham Marian Cotton said:
“I was shocked and disappointed when I found out that Dorset Council was proposing to close the level crossing and replace it with ramps or lifts without consulting the town council or local community.
“These options have already been looked into and discarded. We were promised that automatic gates would be fully investigated but this has not happened. This town cannot be divided.
“We will wait and see what happens with Vikki Slade and the Office of Rail and Road, but we are not going to let this drop by any means, we will continue to fight to keep a pedestrianised crossing over the rail line.
“If we could get a ramp, it would be acceptable if there was no other solution but at the moment the designs don’t meet the requirements for getting everyone across the railway.”
The footbridge which links the two platforms is fine for those who can easily navigate the steps
“It’s a very important link”
Local protestor David Evans said:
“We fully understand the need for a safe crossing of the railway line, but plans have failed three times because there’s no space to get a proper ramp in without using multiple zigzags which would have made the crossing about a quarter of a mile between one side of the tracks and the other.
“It’s a very small space to try to get a proper ramp in – in this instance the entrance to the main industrial estate adjoins the level crossing and heavy lorries go in through it.
“You need to have the right gradient to get up there and in a short space that’s not really feasible – if you have ever tried to control a wheelchair with an elderly person in it going downhill on a ramp it’s extremely difficult.
“It’s a very important, popular link between the north of town and all the facilities of Wareham including schools and the health centre, and is used by a lot of people, so it has to be wide enough for wheelchairs, bikes and pedestrians to pass.”
Safety gates are currently closed manually when trains approach
A long term solution
David added:
“We realise the only real option is a ground level crossing and that means we need to automate the gates so that Dorset Council doesn’t have to pay £120,000 a year for staff, which we completely understand.
“What we need to investigate thoroughly now with the Office of Road and Rail is how we can make a ground level crossing work with automated gates which we feel is the way forward.
“It really needs a technical report to find out how this could work in practice from a specialist rail engineering company with experience in similar schemes.
“That will take a bit of time, but it will be worth it if we can find a long-term solution that will really work for the people of Wareham for the foreseeable future.”
The view of the existing footbridge from the pedestrian crossing
“The time has come to act”
Dorset cabinet member for place services, Jon Andrews, said:
“Dorset Council is not closing the crossing, we are trying to find a permanent step free pedestrian access connecting Northport to Wareham town centre so that people can cross the railway safely.
“The current arrangements are unsustainable, both practically and financially and the introduction of crossing attendants was always intended to be a short-term solution, and currently costs taxpayers £120,000 each year and rising.
“Keeping the current system would still result in the crossing being completely closed by Network Rail in 2038, and would be exorbitantly expensive in the meantime.
“Previous councils and key stakeholders have discussed the situation and debated potential solutions for many years, but the time has come to act.”
Wareham cyclists were well represented at the official protest meeting
Read full statement from Vikki Slade MP
“The ongoing situation regarding the level crossing in Wareham is one of the key concerns in the constituency right now.
“It is imperative that a solution is found as it would be completely unacceptable for the town to be dissected by the loss of this crossing.
“Dorset County Council failed to secure a proper right of way over the land many decades ago and as a result has had to secure a lease from Network Rail to enable public use ever since.
“In recent years the safety requirements have led to a change in operations so that the crossing is fenced to prevent people accessing the railway and risking injury and staff are provided by Dorset Council to facilitate crossing by manual lifting of the gates.
“I am acutely aware that this presents a significant financial burden to the council and that the current lease from Network Rail is due to end in the 2030s.
“Network Rail told me at a recent meeting that they are unwilling to extend or renew the lease beyond its current end point.
“It is therefore imperative that a solution is found as it would be completely unacceptable for the town to be dissected by the loss of this crossing.
“Local people have made it very clear that they consider the crossing to be safe, citing no incidents and a single near miss, the circumstances of which are disputed.
“In their view it is no different crossing at Wareham than a few miles down the track at Wool where the road goes across the line, and pedestrians use it without issue.
“Given the insistence that action must be taken, the community has been campaigning for the gates to be upgraded to automatic gates. This is by far the most straightforward solution.
“However, I am advised that this has been consistently refused by Network Rail and the reasons have changed over time. The most recent objection is the speed of the track at the crossing point.
“The track speed limit is around 80 mph whereas the limit at similar crossings like Poole is just 15 mph. I have specifically asked Network Rail to apply for a reduction in speed so that this can be safe to cross but they have currently advised that the Office of Rail and Road will not agree to this.
“I have pointed out that since almost all trains stop at Wareham a speed reduction would have no impact on the efficiency of the railway.
“Given the close proximity of the crossing to the platform I find this hard to accept and I have now written to the ORR to request a meeting to discuss this further.
“I have met with the Wareham Town Trust and also with Network Rail and South Western Railway onsite to hear their views and concerns and I will raise them when this meeting takes place.
“I know that there has been frustration about the risk assessment document recently produced, in that it does not provide solutions, as requested, and does not move the position further forward.
“I am aware that the option of a ramp or lifts is in scope. We know that this is going to be incredibly expensive, is not wanted by local people and will have an impact on the listed buildings at the station as well as creating considerable disruption.
“I was advised that there had been a previous commitment to work with the community and Town Councils but because this has not been undertaken, and in view of my requested meeting, I asked the leader of the council, Councillor Nick Ireland to withdraw the item from this week’s cabinet meeting so we can secure an updated position and ensure that all options could be fully considered.
“If it is not possible for us to secure an extended lease or automatic gates and we have no alternative but to accept a physical structure, we need to understand whether Dorset Council would provide the capital to fully construct this, and the ongoing costs to maintain lifts, lighting and security or whether they could secure funding from Network Rail, the train operator or Department for Transport.
“I also raised queries that in the cabinet report there was a specific reference to reducing the staffing. This is of great concern as it suggests that access by the public may be scaled back before an alternative solution is secured.
“I firmly believe that Dorset Council should not be progressing further with an option that is not in line with local opinion if ringfenced funds to secure this are not made available.
“This issue has been going on for over a decade, and the people of Wareham and Sandford need a resolution.”
