I wouldn’t say so. But shutting the town (and bus station) side of Woking station would be a big deal. The entrances/exits get crowded enough as it is.
-
Our new ticketing site is now live! Using either this or the original site (both powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
SWR to withdraw public access to Guildford Station Footbridge
- Thread starter BenS123
- Start date
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
It is possible they had less pavement works needed compared to Guildford. Also the area inside the booking hall is bigger than the back of Guildford station.
I'm just trying to understand the differences that led to the diffeerent approaches.
Someone commented that space might be needed to replace the ticket machines. If you magnify the new pic you can see the machines aren't all that huge unless they're very deep into the wall at the back. Think of the cash machines in your local building society. They're not huge.
The problem is that if you want to run over a significant number of people in one go you'd just drive at the bus queue on the opposite side of Guildford Park Road which is often quite long with people travelling up to the hospital. I do remember the attack on Glasgow Airport in 2010. It was pretty horrific in its planning and execution. Maybe Network Rail has been advised of a specific threat, but as someone said the gap is large enough to drive a truck through, so what's the point of what's been done?
I must say that when I walk acros Waterloo Bridge I feel reassured by the lumps of concrete keeping vehicles safely off the pavement!
The problem is that if you want to run over a significant number of people in one go you'd just drive at the bus queue on the opposite side of Guildford Park Road which is often quite long with people travelling up to the hospital. I do remember the attack on Glasgow Airport in 2010. It was pretty horrific in its planning and execution. Maybe Network Rail has been advised of a specific threat, but as someone said the gap is large enough to drive a truck through, so what's the point of what's been done?
I must say that when I walk acros Waterloo Bridge I feel reassured by the lumps of concrete keeping vehicles safely off the pavement!
Its a fair point that Woking opens onto a wider pavement with no through traffic, and then a semi pedestrianised road. Not a narrow pavement onto a busy road that doesn't allow for mucking about much where people come in and leave.
Guildford Park Road entrance closed again from 25 May to 5 June as bollards are installed.
Perhaps this is the remaining ones.
After this perhaps they can still some at the bus stop opposite, where people wait.
I wonder if the work will finish earlier than the time alloted, with the footbridge closed for the reminder of the time, whilst no work is done?
Or will they better be able to maych the time required to do the work with the closure period Last time they finished 4 days early and the footbridge remained closed for the remaining 4 days.
This time they finish on a Wednesday but I don't know the amount of work required and whether they are still assuming the same pro rata length of time.
I wonder if there will be any more closures after this?
The details on the Web site are:
www.networkrail.co.uk
The poster at the station didn't explain why the entrance was closes but did have a link to the Web site, which fortunately did explain why. Here is an image of the poster.
Perhaps this is the remaining ones.
After this perhaps they can still some at the bus stop opposite, where people wait.
I wonder if the work will finish earlier than the time alloted, with the footbridge closed for the reminder of the time, whilst no work is done?
Or will they better be able to maych the time required to do the work with the closure period Last time they finished 4 days early and the footbridge remained closed for the remaining 4 days.
This time they finish on a Wednesday but I don't know the amount of work required and whether they are still assuming the same pro rata length of time.
I wonder if there will be any more closures after this?
The details on the Web site are:
Guildford - Facilities, Shops and Parking Information
www.networkrail.co.uk
The poster at the station didn't explain why the entrance was closes but did have a link to the Web site, which fortunately did explain why. Here is an image of the poster.
I've seen the letter Network Rail has sent to those it calls "Railway Neighbours". In essence the explanation for the closure of access to the station and traffic lights etc on Guildford Park Road is to "complete" the work they started some weeks ago. They don't actually explain why the work couldn't have been completed in the time but, as infobleep has pointed out, there was in fact time remaining in the previous closure when nothing was happening. But they'd already excavated the pavement for the bollards which are now to be installed. Never mind, they did a lovely job of filling it all in again.
And on the subject of a permanent closure of the bridge over the station (because of mass anti-social behaviour and thousands of fare evaders getting on and off at Guildford) it's all gone a bit quiet. Anyone know why?
And on the subject of a permanent closure of the bridge over the station (because of mass anti-social behaviour and thousands of fare evaders getting on and off at Guildford) it's all gone a bit quiet. Anyone know why?
Fazaar1889
Member
They have cameras on their lanyards now, so that might be one reason...
I hadn't noticed. I do hope that helps.
Going past I studied the bollards and there are 4 installed and space for 4 more.
If the amount of work required is the same, then they have alloted less time to do the work this time.
I hadn't noticed cameras on lanyards either but I'll have a look when I cross the station bridge on my way into town later on.
Nothing NR does would surprise me so if they've allocated less time for the same amount of work that would be par for the course. What I find surprising is that they're content to repeatedly block up Guildford Park Road with lights when it's the principal route to and from the A3 to the town.
Nothing NR does would surprise me so if they've allocated less time for the same amount of work that would be par for the course. What I find surprising is that they're content to repeatedly block up Guildford Park Road with lights when it's the principal route to and from the A3 to the town.
It may have been that Surrey CC wouldn't allow them the full time for traffic management for the whole job to be done at once and needed to be split across two periods of work.
Fazaar1889
Member
That seems the most likely. The works to create the zebra crossing at the top of the chase infuriated the NIMBYs so I'm sure that the council got 1001 complaints for that. The local facebook group was fun to watch during that time.
You'd think NR would let people know that further work was due later in the year.
I received a 'Railway Neighbours' letter but had already seen the notice on Gfd Park Rd entrance, its makes some sort of sense, - I had joked with the rail staff about leaving enough space to drive a 7.5 tonne truck through, it fell on deaf ears with the temp/agency staff!
I visited Woking station yesterday and noticed that they have had the 'anti terrorist bollards' installed, presumably there is a budget and an installation timetable, would love to know which stations have been prioritised as high/low risk?
I notice that car drivers still pick-up/drop off by the shops just west of the station entrance, also the current layout of bus stops/traffic islands means that all traffic comes to a stop when a bus pulls up, overtaking is now physically impossible, this must be intentional.
The mostly temporary rail staff will open the gates without bothering to physically check if you have a valid ticket, presumably to avoid conflict.
That might help the anti-social behaviour somewhat, but probably won't do much to stop fare evaders
It's quiet, too quiet. as they used to say in all the best westerns, but at the station yesterday about four in the afternoon there were half a dozen Surrey police in the booking hall and two British Transport Police on the other side of the gateline. The helpful chap on the Guildford Park Road side of the bridge told me they were there for fare evasion. That makes more sense to me than closing the bridge to unticketed pedestrians and is exactly what they do at stations up and down the land from time to time. At Clapham Junction they even have drugs detecting dogs.
The more I think about this the more I wonder what SWR are really up to. I suppose we'll find out one of these days.
The more I think about this the more I wonder what SWR are really up to. I suppose we'll find out one of these days.
boiledbeans2
Member
Interesting. So what kind of fare evasion are they trying to catch? Those who push through the barriers?
Anybody could've said they are just crossing the bridge, and didn't use the trains.
There's a lot of stations without barriers nearby, especially on the GWR routes. So if you enter at Guildford via claiming to use the footbridge, you could get away without a ticket if you don't get checked on the train.
Or, if the station on the other end has barriers, a lot of people would enter (or exit) Guildford claiming to just be using the bridge. And instead of buying a full ticket between Guildford and their destination (or departure) station, they instead would buy a short fare between that station and a neighbouring one, avoiding paying for most of their journey.
boiledbeans2
Member
Yes, this was what I meant. Even with BTP at Guildford gateline, how do they distinguish between fare evaders and people who were just genuinely crossing the bridge?
Oh sorry, I see what you mean. Good point - unless the BTP escorts people across, or is doing some sort of in-and-out check over radio. "hey did you see this gentleman come in at the other side"?
We certainly wouldn’t be doing that: too much radio clutter!
DelW
Established Member
- Joined
- 15 Jan 2015
- Messages
- 5,934
If there were revenue staff at both entrances, presumably they could simply return temporarily to the old bridge pass system? If those were numbered or counted, there would also be evidence of how many people might have left the station by train.
Thread reopened for @slicedbread to update
DelW
Established Member
- Joined
- 15 Jan 2015
- Messages
- 5,934
I expect that slicedbread has noted a report on Surrey Live that NR and SWR have applied to Guildford Borough Council for planning permission to extinguish the right of way across the footbridge.
Unfortunately the website is a typical Reach mess of adverts and popups which make it very hard to read, but salient points are:
www.getsurrey.co.uk
Unfortunately the website is a typical Reach mess of adverts and popups which make it very hard to read, but salient points are:
(Edited to add the following paragraph which I inadvertently omitted)
There is more if anyone wants to fight their way through to it:
'Significant issues' could result in major change at Guildford train station
Rail operators agreed to the rule when the station was first redeveloped in the 1980s, but now they want to scrap it
Last edited:
I'd be fascinated to know what the "equally convenient" alternative routes are.
To my knowledge the only one is an actively hostile pedestrian environment - a narrow footpath next to the busy A31 over a railway bridge.
If they want to close this route they need to provide a decent alternative - a separate unticketed footbridge. Or build a parallel footbridge adjacent to the road bridge.
To my knowledge the only one is an actively hostile pedestrian environment - a narrow footpath next to the busy A31 over a railway bridge.
If they want to close this route they need to provide a decent alternative - a separate unticketed footbridge. Or build a parallel footbridge adjacent to the road bridge.
The railway prioritising the railway and sod everyone else.I expect that slicedbread has noted a report on Surrey Live that NR and SWR have applied to Guildford Borough Council for planning permission to extinguish the right of way across the footbridge.
Unfortunately the website is a typical Reach mess of adverts and popups which make it very hard to read, but salient points are:
There is more if anyone wants to fight their way through to it:
'Significant issues' could result in major change at Guildford train station
Rail operators agreed to the rule when the station was first redeveloped in the 1980s, but now they want to scrap it
As a local resident who uses the bridge most days: the existing pedestrian environment up to the station on nearly all approaches is already horrendous, an extra 100m along the Farnham Road Bridge is only as likely to kill me as the rest of it. And the amount of issues with assaults on railway staff and fare dodging I've witnessed at Guildford is biblical (not helped by most surrounding stations not having ticket barriers or even being staffed - so if you can get through the barriers at Guildford, there's a good chance you'll have a free journey). I'm not too fussed by losing the bridge pass.
I do hope when the station is redeveloped they do something about the bridge, but I'm not sure the plans actually touch the existing platforms or the footbridge, maybe it's just the main station building?
I do hope when the station is redeveloped they do something about the bridge, but I'm not sure the plans actually touch the existing platforms or the footbridge, maybe it's just the main station building?
Last edited:
GooseWaffe
Member
The main road bridge really isn’t bad to walk over.
The application is here on Guildford Borough Council's planning portal. I've attached the documents for posterity (I had to split the original section 52 agreement with BR into two documents to upload it).
It sounds like this is basically a rubber stamping exercise, since the attached letter states:
Not very transparent of them to conduct such conversations behind closed doors.
It sounds like this is basically a rubber stamping exercise, since the attached letter states:
Not very transparent of them to conduct such conversations behind closed doors.
If it's anything like the road bridge at Crewe (and it looks that way on Google Street View), I'm rather glad I won't be affected by this. Narrow, nothing separating the traffic from you, barely wide enough for 2 people to pass each other. Sounds lovely!
I’ve probably walked across the Farnham Road bridge a couple of hundred times, and in my view it simply isn’t an issue. Far worse pavements to walk down in Guildford, including almost every one that you would use to get the either end of the station footbridge on foot, especially Bridge St across the river.