Residents of Rose Lane in Church Fenton are urging Network Rail to halt plans to demolish the existing pedestrian footbridge before a new road bridge, that will replace it, is ready to use.
Network Rail says the “Arrangement is temporary“ It will last from November 21 to December 12. Provision is being made for 999 and delivery vehicles too.
The works form part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU), a major infrastructure project designed to modernise and electrify the rail line between Manchester, Leeds and York.
Local residents, who have to cross the Leeds line, say they have been broadly supportive of the project and have cooperated with Network Rail throughout, despite the disruption caused by years of construction in and around the village and directly next to their homes.
However, they say they have now been informed by Network Rail staff that the footbridge, their only pedestrian link over the railway, is scheduled for demolition before the replacement road bridge is open.
This change would temporarily but significantly affect both pedestrian and vehicle access to Rose Lane, they say.
At present, access to the street is maintained via the staffed level crossing and the footbridge. Under the revised sequencing, once the footbridge is removed, all movement in and out of Rose Lane, they claimed, would depend entirely on the level crossing, where waiting times are expected to increase from three to five minutes per train movement.
Given that more than 100 trains pass through the section daily, this would, they argue, create long and unpredictable delays for homeowners, carers, delivery drivers and, most critically, emergency services.
Shaun Sandison, Rose Lane resident told YorkMix: “Removing the bridge before the new one opens will effectively isolate part of the community and create unnecessary risks for elderly and vulnerable residents.”
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