HISTORIC FOOTBRIDGE REMOVED FROM SERVICE
Published at 20:42 on Monday 19th September 2022
Tags: Beverley, NER, Footbridge, Network Rail
The Grade II-listed North Eastern Railway footbridge at Beverley has been closed on safety grounds.
With a rotting wooden canopy and a rise in antisocial behaviour, Network Rail says it needed to urgently close the 130-year-old footbridge to put safety first. To remove the risk of pieces of the weakened canopy falling onto the tracks, the bridge has been closed to public use until further notice. East Riding Council has recently approved plans to remove the bridge’s centuries-old wooden canopy following years of wear and tear, and as result next year, Network Rail will undertake this work and fully refurbish the original cast iron structure.
Matt Rice, North & East Route Director for Network Rail said: “I know how important this footbridge is to the heritage of Beverley station and how well-loved it is by passengers. That’s why we want to see it eventually refurbished and, crucially, made safe for people to use and trains to pass beneath.”
Network Rail says it explored multiple options before deciding that closing the footbridge was the only viable option to keep people safe while preserving as much of the heritage as possible. The bridge is thought to have been installed in the 1880s, with the wooden canopy being a later addition. As a Grade II-listed structure, the plans have been given the green light by Historic England, and some of the original features have been offered to the National Railway Museum.
Access between the two platforms at the station will be maintained via the level crossing on Armstrong Way, although Northern says passengers should speak to station staff if they need any help and should allow extra time for switching platforms.
