Shiplake Station

[Deepgreen]

I've just come back from a journey to Shiplake, on the Twyford to Henley branch.

An odd situation came to my notice while there - there is a public footpath which runs across the railway at the southern end of the long platform, immediately abutting the platform ramp.

Looking from the platform there is the usual notice about not proceeding beyond this notice or crossing the line, but the presence of the footpath literally at the foot of the ramp makes this a nonsense, as users of the footpath have to cross the line! Photo attached.

I'm wondering if there are other locations like this and whether it is just thoughtlessness that has led to the signage being as it is, or is there some reason why footpath users should not use the ramp to get to the footpath (because they certainly will do so!).

 

[class ep-09]

Something similar at Pershore on North Cotswold Line in down direction . Front of an 800 class stops beyond sign prohibiting pedestrians / passengers to go beyond, yet entire front carriage stop within " prohibited " zone .
I guess anyone alighting from that carriage is liable for trespassing ))

 

[Gloster]

Possibly it is more of a legal necessity than anything else. There is always the risk that someone might get off a train, walk down the ramp, turn on to the crossing without looking when the train is leaving and become a one-under.

 

[Kite159]

Kirby Cross (Walton on the Naze branch) springs to mind as having a footpath at the Walton end of the platforms with signage saying "passengers must not pass this point" [ignoring that the footpath is the only way to access the Colchester bound platform]

Also I want to say Lealholm on the Whitby branch, another station where there is a footpath crossing the railway at the Whitby end with a "passengers must not pass this point" sign on the ramp, which I suspect is widely ignored by people avoiding using the gates.

 

[Mojo]

I remember back in the day of the 37s on the Rhymney branch there was a foot crossing on the headshunt used by the locos to run around the coaches. There was a lot of signage saying you shouldn’t go down there but people did anyway (to take photos). On the day in December 2005 when they were running a “diesel gala” on the line there were even BTP officers there to stop people going off the ramp but to make them walk around.

 

[Deepgreen]

Possibly it is more of a legal necessity than anything else. There is always the risk that someone might get off a train, walk down the ramp, turn on to the crossing without looking when the train is leaving and become a one-under.

Possibly, but surely a far lower risk than non-passengers crossing?

 

[Ashley Hill]

Lapford had a similar crossing at the Eggesford end of the platform. The occasional passenger often alights and just walks off the platform to it.

 

[Sean Emmett]

At Sea Mills (Severn Beach line) the ramp is the public access to the only platform, and there is a vehicle crossing at its foot.

 

[fandroid]

Bentley on SWR's Alton line had exactly that when I was there a long time ago. The map shows that's it's a regular crossroads of public paths, so I wouldn't be surprised if nothing's changed.

 

[High Dyke]

Ancaster has a metalled path from the Up platform to the level crossing, adjacent to the signal box (Pottergate). However, the same passenger signage is there, advising passengers to cross the line by the (non-existent) footbridge. Have given up pointing out that error.