Over the past months, I've spoken to a lot of people about the footbridge over the railway line at St John's and read a lot of comments on the subject on my posts and those of others. Today I had the opportunity to join Network Rail and Jonathan Lord MP on a Teams call to reflect these. We concentrated on two aspects in particular
Speed of replacement. Residents weren't expecting this removal of a key piece of local infrastructure. Network Rail has already committed to replacement in the financial year; residents want it done in 2024, this calendar year. Given we are now in March, full replacement in the summer seems unlikely but a new footbridge in 2024 is a must.
A wider, more modern and user-friendly bridge. No-one wanted to see the footbridge gone - but it was overdue to be replaced. A new structure that allows comfortable side-by-side passing and safe full enclosure would at least provide a benefit from the inconvenience at the moment.
I hope Network Rail are listening; I think they are - thanks to them for meeting with us. I look forward to the public online meeting next week to hear more about the design.
