Barrow Crossings

[ryan125hst]

I've just seen a recent video of Ipswich station and noticed that the warning lights by the barrow crossing at the London end of the station were covered over. Looking back at other videos, this seems to have been the case for a couple of years. One shot seemed to show a new metal fence as well with a "Use the authorised walking route" sign.

I thought I'd check whether Retford's barrow crossing at the Sheffield end of the lower level platforms was still in use now the lift has been added on the Sheffield bound platform and managed to find a recent video showing that it's "Safe to cross" lights have also been bagged. This seems to have been a more recent change as videos from early last year didn't show it (it's been a while since I travelled from there so I don't know when it became disused).

I can only assume Network Rail are closing these barrow crossings down, even ones for staff only, on safety grounds. Is this a recent change of policy?

 

[Lucy1501]

Barrow crossings at major stations are slowly being replaced by lifts and removed. This is both on safety grounds, and the fact that it makes travel easier for people who may struggle with or cannot use the stairs, as they don't need to get a staff member to cross. It is by no means a recent policy change - making stations more accessible has been a goal for ages.

From the Retford example - it appears that it was replaced by a lift in 2022. There's a press release on LNER's website - but it appears to currently be down for maitenence. https://www.lner.co.uk/#/news/lner-enhances-access-for-all-with-new-retford-station-lift/

I'm aware of similar crossings at Penrith (which was removed in 2016) and Huddersfield (which will be removed as part of the major remodelling that's ongoing).

 

[Cheshire Rover]

The barrow crossing at Helsby was removed years ago and means anyone in a wheelchair or pushing a pram now needs assistance to use the footbridge to access Platforms 2,3 and 4. No replacement lifts.

 

[mike57]

Bridlington still has its barrow crossing, just. Work has been ongoing for sometime to install lifts and refurbish the footbridge, but seems to be stalled at the moment, I know that corrosion issues were worse than expected in the existing footbridge. Platforms 5 and 6 have level access anyway, the footbridge accesses platform 4 (for those who dont know Bridlington no longer has Platforms 1-3, they were removed in the 1980s I think, but platforms have never been renumbered). Since the resignalling its possible for Scarborough bound services to use platform 5, and for a while they did if it was available (most Hull Scarborough services cross at Hunmanby), but more recently they use Platform 4 even if 5 is available and there is nothing arriving or departing from the bay platform 6.

 

[RichA]

Gloucester’s was removed when the lifts were installed circa 2015.

 

[Ken H]

Settle used to be barrow crossing only till they built a footbridge some years ago. The barrow crossing is still in use but when there are staff there. Dont know what you do if you arrive on a train from Leeds after the staff have gone home
Horton still has one but they are building an accessable bridge. Ribblehead and Giggleswick still have them.

 

[bleeder4]

Still a barrow crossing at Worcester Shrub Hill, a station which has no lifts. I actually saw a member of staff pushing a wheelchair user across it just last week. I believe there is a plan to reinstate the old luggage lifts for passenger use in the next year or two, so presumably that will then render the crossing redundant.

I also saw the barrow crossing at Hereford used in January this year, on a day when the lifts were out of order.

 

[LowLevel]

They're very much on the hitlist where possible. One of the more curious areas they've survived are at Melton Mowbray and Stamford where they're maglocked by the local signaller and use is requested by telephone - curious because they're on comparatively heavily used and high speed lines as opposed to the usual rural outposts where you tend to still find them. I suppose the station footfall is too high to justify getting rid of them totally vs the inevitable increase in misuse where people will just cross the track anyway.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Some stations have retained barrow crossings as a contingency against lift failures.

 

[LowLevel]

Some stations have retained barrow crossings as a contingency against lift failures.

A good idea, I agree. The combined wisdom of the guiding minds in our local area decided this was far too dangerous a few years so now the barrow crossings are weed strewn and fenced off and if the lifts fail, tough, people struggle on the stairs with luggage or are taxied about in the case of wheelchair users. Even staff operated crossings are now out of use.

 

[dk1]

I've just seen a recent video of Ipswich station and noticed that the warning lights by the barrow crossing at the London end of the station were covered over. Looking back at other videos, this seems to have been the case for a couple of years. One shot seemed to show a new metal fence as well with a "Use the authorised walking route" sign.

I thought I'd check whether Retford's barrow crossing at the Sheffield end of the lower level platforms was still in use now the lift has been added on the Sheffield bound platform and managed to find a recent video showing that it's "Safe to cross" lights have also been bagged. This seems to have been a more recent change as videos from early last year didn't show it (it's been a while since I travelled from there so I don't know when it became disused).

I can only assume Network Rail are closing these barrow crossings down, even ones for staff only, on safety grounds. Is this a recent change of policy?

Ipswich barrow crossing stopped being used when the new footbridge opened several years ago now. Even traincrew where not allowed to use it from that time.

 

[ac6000cw]

They're very much on the hitlist where possible. One of the more curious areas they've survived are at Melton Mowbray and Stamford where they're maglocked by the local signaller and use is requested by telephone - curious because they're on comparatively heavily used and high speed lines as opposed to the usual rural outposts where you tend to still find them. I suppose the station footfall is too high to justify getting rid of them totally vs the inevitable increase in misuse where people will just cross the track anyway.

Unless it's changed very recently, the unstaffed Thurston station (just east of Bury St. Edmunds) on the busy Ely/Cambridge to Stowmarket mainline has only a foot/barrow crossing (no footbridge/subway) between the two platforms, with miniature red/green lights for users (like some occupation crossings).

 

[ricoblade]

Barrow crossings at major stations are slowly being replaced by lifts and removed. This is both on safety grounds, and the fact that it makes travel easier for people who may struggle with or cannot use the stairs, as they don't need to get a staff member to cross. It is by no means a recent policy change - making stations more accessible has been a goal for ages.

From the Retford example - it appears that it was replaced by a lift in 2022. There's a press release on LNER's website - but it appears to currently be down for maitenence. https://www.lner.co.uk/#/news/lner-enhances-access-for-all-with-new-retford-station-lift/

I'm aware of similar crossings at Penrith (which was removed in 2016) and Huddersfield (which will be removed as part of the major remodelling that's ongoing).

I’m sure I saw someone being wheel-chaired across the Barrow Crossing at Retford when the lifts were not working. Might have been before 2022 though.

 

[neill]

Is Market Rasen still only a barrow crossing?

 

[Grumpy]

Bridlington still has its barrow crossing, just. Work has been ongoing for sometime to install lifts and refurbish the footbridge,

Why does Brid (and similar stations) really need money wasting on lifts and footbridge? All the trains stop there and are travelling slowly on approach/departure. Passengers are trusted to cross busy roads when they leave the station why cant they be trusted to cross a railway line? I suspect there are many tram stops in the UK with more passengers than Brid but no-one would propose lifts and bridges.

 

[geoffk]

Settle used to be barrow crossing only till they built a footbridge some years ago. The barrow crossing is still in use but when there are staff there. Dont know what you do if you arrive on a train from Leeds after the staff have gone home
Horton still has one but they are building an accessable bridge. Ribblehead and Giggleswick still have them.

As far as I know, the Settle barrow crossing is still used by the trolley which starts/finishes its duty here on certain Northern trains.

 

[Revilo]

The only way to access Roche station is via a barrow crossing.

Dawlish used to have a barrow crossing for use by passengers accompanied by staff, with a white light that extinguished when trains were due. Not in operation now I believe since the new bridge with lifts was opened.

 

[D6130]

As far as I know, the Settle barrow crossing is still used by the trolley which starts/finishes its duty here on certain Northern trains.

Yes....and by passengers with mobility issues when accompanied by station staff, who have to obtain permission from the signaller to unlock the platform end gates.

 

[BarryD]

used to have a barrow crossing for use by passengers accompanied by staff, with a white light that extinguished when trains were due. Not in operation now I believe since the new bridge with lifts was opened.

You're not referring to Roche here, are you? Somewhere else?

 

[Revilo]

You're not referring to Roche here, are you? Somewhere else?

Meant to say Dawlish

 

[_toommm_]

Ince and Elton being another example. But of course you'd beucky to actually have a need to use it as the trains regularly get cancelled, plus there aren't really any people using it.

 

[kw12]

Carmarthen still has a barrow crossing and this provides the only passenger route to and from platform 2. Passengers can (and do) cross it without staff being present.

There are, however, now very few, if any, trains scheduled to traverse this barrow crossing. This is because the tracks over the crossing now just lead to a headshunt for locos to run round, as the line north of here closed in the 1970s. These tracks were very rusty when I was here last year.

 

[mike57]

Why does Brid (and similar stations) really need money wasting on lifts and footbridge? All the trains stop there and are travelling slowly on approach/departure. Passengers are trusted to cross busy roads when they leave the station why cant they be trusted to cross a railway line? I suspect there are many tram stops in the UK with more passengers than Brid but no-one would propose lifts and bridges.

At Brid I think the issue may be more to do with the definition of 'level'. The ramps are quite steep, fine for a large wheely suitcase, buggy or shopping trolley, but more of a challenge maybe for a wheelchair.

At Brid there is much simpler solution which would work most of the time, if Platform 5 is clear, and nothing is coming down from Scarborough, and nothing leaving or arriving at Platform 6, then dont use platform 4, send everything through 5. During the week apart from early and late trains everything crosses at Hunmanby, and the platform 6 arrivals and departures are 20 minutes away from the Scarborough services, so this would mean that 80% of the weekday services wouldn't need the crossing.

The recentish resignalling made using platform 5 for northbounds possible on a regular basis, and in fact for some months after that is how it worked, then the bridge/lift works started but never got finished and all the northbound services now use 4 even when 5 is clear. Maybe some locking gates similar to those at Seamer for the barrow crossing, much cheaper than the current works, and no issues with lifts being out of service.

I agree that some common sense is needed, but that commodity seems in short supply these days, and not just on the railway.

 

[duffield]

I saw the barrow crossing at Knaresborough in active use several times on Tuesday. I assume it's overseen and locked off as necessary by the signaller in the station box. There's a subway, but it's not suitable for wheelchair users etc. being steps only with no ramps or lift, and most people seemed to be avoiding it in favour of the barrow crossing.

 

[Michael.Y]

Use of the barrow crossing at Hereford used to be (and possibly still is) part of the training for new on board trolley hosts at Arriva/TfW. Only ever had to do it in anger once and it was a bleddy nightmare given the gaps for the rails are only millimetres narrower than the circumference of a catering trolley