Stations Without Footbridges or Subways

[28XX]

Rushwick Halt access via road overbridge. Built in the '20's closed in 1965.

[Gwiwer]

 

 

Surely all termini have access to all platforms (beyond the buffets)

But not all of those have buffets -  how does one then change platforms?

[jacko]

Uphall doesn't.

strictly speaking it does have a pedestrian underpass 200 yards east of the platforms but it's a bit scary at night. (there's also a road underbridge the same distance west).  Uphall was fine until fairly recently when they added a second line. We were hoping they were putting in a footbridge when the added the second line but it never happened.

Shotts only has a road bridge to cross the tracks and the walk is quite a distance, especially at the mo as they're lifting the road bridge for electrification.

Kirknewton you have to use the level crossing at the end of the platform. Not much use if your train is 5 minutes away and you're on the wrong side of the road when the gates come down.

[Iankirby]

Heath High Level

Llanishen

Aber

Llanbradach

[csiedmo]

Mythlomroyd since 1990.

[jamie92208]

Most of the new stations that were opened in  West Yorkshire in the 70's 80's and 90's rely on a road over or under bridge to reach the other platform.  IIRC the presence of such a means of crossing the tracks was a major design element for siting new stations to save the cost of footbridges.  Sam has already mentioned Featherstone above and off the top of my head I can think of Slaithwaite, Bramley has already been mentioned.

 

Jamie

[andyman7]

Birkbeck in south London also used the road underbridge as access between platforms. The arrangement still applies although these days one platform is National Rail and the other is Tramlink.

[phil_sutters]

Burnham-on-Sea was what you could call a through terminus, as the line carried on to the jetty. Crossing the line was done like this -

 

I imagine most light railways avoided the expense of footbridges - as here on the KESR - access is via the level crossing in the distance.

[grahame]

Esher - use the road under the railway.

 

Weymouth and Uckfield (termini).

 

G.

[Reorte]

I know it's not GWR/WR, but apart from Appleby (and maybe Settle, I don't remember) none of the intermediate stations on the Settle Carlisle had footbridges. They all relied on boarded crossings, even the junction at Garsdale which might have seen increased foot traffic despite its remoteness.

 

So even relatively busy main lines have this precedent.

Settle's new-ish bridge has been mentioned, and Kirkby Stephen has one now. Before that it was go down to the road and under the railway. Originally I presume it was cross the tracks on the now long gone boarded crossings. Langwathby is still down to the road and up the other side, and I'm guessing that some of the not mentioned stations are. One or two with no handy road are still boarded crossings - Dent, Ribbleshead, and Horton (which is also a part of a busy public footpath, so would seem a likely candidate for a bridge if any more appear in the future) are the ones I know.

[ForestPines]

I recall the first time I travelled on the S&C, about 20 years ago, the service was replaced by buses between Langwathby and Carlisle due to a landslip near Culgaith. Arriving at Langwathby on an Up train, the staff managing the transfer from train to bus didn't bother making us all go around via the road, but just herded us across the tracks at the point where the narrow crossing presumably had once been.

[11B]

Roose did have a barrow crossing at one end which has now gone if I recall, to get from one side to the other means a walk up the road, across the road bridge and back down the road at the other side.

 

Kents Bank only has a crossing that also gives vehicle access to the beach.

 

Silverdale only has a barrow crossing with no access other than this to the up platform.

 

Kind regards

 

Ian

[Banger Blue]

From the Fairford Branch:

 

Yarnton Junction

Eynsham

Witney (Passenger)

Brize Norton & Bampton

Carterton

[caradoc]

Kidderminster

 

Kidderminster has a (modern) footbridge now, but I'm not sure whether it had one previously.

 

Neilston is a terminus which does have a footbridge, because the line used to be a through route and still continues beyond the platforms to a turnback siding. There is however a road overbridge immediately adjacent and I believe there has been talk of removing the footbridge.

[jamie92208]

I have remembered, Long Preston used to have a boarded crossing but that was ripped up in the 70's or 80's and a new entrance to the down platform was built giving access from the road bridge.  Now the road bridge is the only crossing.

 

Jamie

[Southernman46]

Esher - use the road under the railway.

 

Weymouth and Uckfield (termini).

 

G.

Esher has a footbridge between platforms

[Geoff Endacott]

So apart from a few rare exceptions, stations always need a footbridge.

 

Geoff Endacott

[Happy Hippo]

So apart from a few rare exceptions, stations always need a footbridge.

 

Geoff Endacott

LLanishen never had a footbridge, pax used the adjacent road bridge to cross.

 

LLanwrtyd Wells does not currenty have a footbridge.  the foot crossing at the east end of the station also doubles as the route of a public footpath.

[Oldddudders]

So apart from a few rare exceptions, stations always need a footbridge.

 

Geoff Endacott

I'm not convinced that is a true inference from the evidence presented above. I believe the quoted locations from so many contributors show that the nature of the line and its traffic, and the era, play a considerable part in deciding whether a foot crossing is adequate. Secondary and lesser lines seem to have plenty of examples, main lines much less commonly.

[Steven B]

Bradford Foster Square

Bradford Interchange

 

Happy modelling

 

Steven B

[Coryton]

Blaenavon High Level.

 

Forest Hill, SE23. All 4 platforms used a subway.

 

Radyr didn't have a footbridge for a long time. Intending passengers used a public road. It's been reinstated in the last couple of years.

 

Ian

 

It has a brand new footbridge now, and the last time I looked the steps down to the road were blocked off so coming from one direction it's necessary to cross under the railway by road then back over by footbridge.

[phil_sutters]

Your original query went -   The problem is, we have a member who insists that such an arrangement is wrong. It is clearly not wrong. It may happen in a minority of locations. However I suspect that, not only have we not heard of all the membership's remembered sites, let alone the actual sites that have existed, but some may have acquired footbridges within your BR/WR period, which previously relied on boarded crossings and the other means of getting across the tracks.

 

I realize that Highbridge Road is a fictional location - but an underbridge on the only real UK Highbridge Road would be at severe risk of flooding, as it would take you below sea-level. I know because I lived at the Burnham Road end of the road between Highbridge & Burnham. The other end was, conversely, Highbridge Road. It is of course in S&DJR territory.

[Steamport Southport]

Birkdale you use the level crossing. I think a few others do as well.

 

Halewood (new station built in the 1980s) you use the main road and travel up two dirt tracks to the station on the embankment.

 

Hunts cross originally had footsteps leading down from the main road. The footbridge wasn't built until the modern era (1960s or 1970s I believe). Since replaced with a modern wheelchair friendly footbridge.

 

In all three you have/had to leave the station to get to the other platform.

 

 

Jason

[sandra]

There are a number examples of this on the CLC Manchester to Chester line. Certainly Mouldsworth, Delamere, Cuddington and Greenbank all have this arrangement.

 

Indeed as far as small rural stations are concerned I would guess that if there was a road bridge immediately adjacent to the end of the platforms on a double track line, then this would be the usual arrangement as the railway company would wish to avoid the cost of a bridge or subway of it could be avoided.

 

At Mouldsworth, although there was access from the road bridge to the Manchester bound platform, the booking office was on the Chester bound platform and you were usually directed to the Manchester platform via the barrow crossing.

 

Sandra

[RJS1977]

My childhood local station at Heald Green had both platforms accessed from a road overbridge, as did Styal. All the other stations on the line (Gatley, East Didsbury, Burnage and Mauldeth Road) had platforms accessed from a road underbridge.

 

Winnersh station (between Reading and Wokingham) is accessed from either side of an overbridge, and Sunningdale from either side of a level crossing,

 

Reigate station is also accessed from either side of a level crossing (no bridge).