Footpath crossings - rights of way.

[lyndhurst25]

Is there available anywhere a list or map of footpath crossings on the rail network? Also is it possible to find out which crossings are recognised public rights of way? Do Network Rail publish this information? Thanks.

 

[Right Away]

Is there available anywhere a list or map of footpath crossings on the rail network? Also is it possible to find out which crossings are recognised public rights of way? Do Network Rail publish this information? Thanks.

It might not be what you are looking for but The ABC Railway Guide is a useful resource
http://abcrailwayguide.uk/

Click on menu, then browse by county. There will then be a list of every crossing as well as a scrollable map of the railway for each individual administrative area. The red gate symbols are crossings. You can click on them for full details of each crossing including address, coordinates and risk ratings.

 

[Right Away]

It might not be what you are looking for but The ABC Railway Guide is a useful resource
http://abcrailwayguide.uk/

Click on menu, then browse by county. There will then be a list of every crossing as well as a scrollable map of the railway for each individual administrative area. The red gate symbols are crossings. You can click on them for full details of each crossing including address, coordinates and risk ratings.

I should add that although a crossing may be listed as 'public' in the records, this is not a guarantee of a public right of way existing as I have spotted a couple listed as such that are most definitely unaccessible to the public. An Ordnance Survey 'Explorer' map, as available on the Bing Maps full site, is excellent for showing public rights of way.

 

[Bald Rick]

Yes NR publishes the info, but the info you require is not easily ‘siftable’.

Also, the OS explorer maps do have the odd mistake on re rights of way on level crossings. But you can be 99% sure they are correct.

 

[Llanigraham]

The only sure way is to examine the Definitive Map for each Council area you are enquiring about, as that is the only full, legal listing of all Public Rights of Way, in conjunction with listing provided by Network Rail. OS actually state on their maps that they may not always be correct.

However you need to beware of even that. Some Rights of Way across railway land also depend on the wording of the original Enabling Acts for that railway. There are quite a number where the RoW ends at the railway boundary and restarts on the other side, and the bit across the railway is actually a Permissive Path.

 

[lyndhurst25]

Thanks for the replies.

abcrailwayguide.uk is good but there are a few obvious rouge entries, well away from any past or present railway lines! I wonder how they haven't been spotted by the site's author?

A couple of things have brought foot crossings to my attention.

The first being the recent closure of Suggits Lane crossing in Cleethorpes, to much local protest. Although it's been there as long as the railway and used by the public ever since, it wasn't an official right of way, making it easier for Network Rail to close off.
http://abcrailwayguide.uk/suggitts-lane-private-level-crossing-north-east-lincolnshire

The second is footpath and crossing in South Yorkshire that isn't marked as a RoW on OS maps, but according to abcrailwayguide is a "public footpath" crossing.
http://abcrailwayguide.uk/brookhouse-public-level-crossing-rotherham
I suppose a trip to Rotherham Town Hall to look at their definitive map of rights of way will be required. You'd have thought that they would put this stuff online.

 

[Llanigraham]

Worth checking on the Council web site first, as many have now digitised their Definitive Maps and put them on the web. Also worth checking whether if they haven't you need to make an appointment to view it.

 

[jnjkerbin]

You can try rowmaps.com. It's taken from ROW data released by councils. That appears to show no ROW at that location.

 

[JBuchananGB]

For Essex you can look at
https://www.essexhighways.org/getting-around/public-rights-of-way.aspx
To view an interactive map, and the situation regarding Level crossing closure proposals.
I suppose it is up to each highway authority to decide whether to put this information on line.

 

[lyndhurst25]

You can try rowmaps.com. It's taken from ROW data released by councils. That appears to show no ROW at that location.

That's very useful. Never knew that existed. Thanks.

The Brookhouse crossing footpath has been there for as long as I can remember (30+ years) and I always assumed that it was an official RoW.

Also using rowmaps.com I have just noticed that a longstanding footpath from the road where I live isn't officially recognised as a RoW either. How do you go about getting paths added to the Definitive Map?

 

[Llanigraham]

With great difficulty!!
Simplistically, you have to be able to prove it has had continuous and uninterrupted use by numerous people for many years. Getting the proof is the difficult bit.
And it can be expensive.

 

[AndrewE]

With great difficulty!!
Simplistically, you have to be able to prove it has had continuous and uninterrupted use by numerous people for many years. Getting the proof is the difficult bit.
And it can be expensive.

Or maybe not... See this:
https://www.ramblers.org.uk/get-involved/campaign-with-us/dont-lose-your-way-2026.aspx

 

[Llanigraham]

Having been involved in RoW investigations, as the RoW Officer for a national Club, and having read their guide, I can truthfully say it isn't as easy as they imply.

 

[ASharpe]

Network rail publish this document which lists all level crossings:
https://cdn.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Level-Crossings-data-May-2019.xlsx

As others have mentioned this would have to be cross referenced to definitive maps and other legislation.