Network Rail has ​released notice of a public consultation meeting on 14 December, ​2-7PM, Foxton Village Hall, ​regarding modifications to their proposal to close the Barrington Road pedestrian crossing gate at Foxton Level Crossing​.

Essentially, the modification is the inclusion of a three-metre wide pedestrian/cycleway alongside the Barrington side of the A10 itself as it passes over the tracks. This would involve a shifting of the highway by three metres where it passes over the main A10 level crossing.

The modification means that through-pedestrian and cycle traffic need not cross the A10 twice over, in order to leave and re-join the new A10 pedestrian/cycle path, so this is a significant improvement over the original proposal which simply severed the connection. There is also a proposed path through the copse of trees on the peninsula of land abutting the Barrington Rd near the junction with the A10, to shorten the route round to the main Barrington Road stretch.

Would pedestrians and cyclists be as safe using the proposed new passageway as they currently are using the Barrington Road gate?

Network Rail point out that they are not confident in being able to successfully manage any future faults on the gate, due to limitations in supply chains, etc. They also want to do away with the signal box which is required in the current arrangements. They have said they see the proposed modifications as simplifying the overall crossing, albeit still within an inherently difficult environment. I’ve stated strenuously that the broader aspiration to redesign the entire level crossing, an exercise already commenced through the publication of Network Rail’s feasibility study for a bypass with bridge or underpass, must not be compromised by shorter-term modifications.

It is not clear how much the Barrington gate project would cost, where the funding would come from, and to what degree the various components indicated on the detailed plan are aspirational. When asked how long it would take to implement the proposal, which would require a variety of legal permissions and funding streams, the answer was up to seven years – though the aim would be to complete much more quickly. We are assured that the Barrington Road gate would not be closed off until the new arrangements are implemented.

Please attend the consultation at Foxton Village Hall and feel free to let me know your views.

   Leave a comment