Trivia: Railway stations with thoroughfare

[jan5468]

The footbridge at East Garforth was there to link two housing estates on opposite sides of the railway for many years before the station was built. Extra walkways were built onto the existing ramps at that time to access the platforms.

 

[AlbertBeale]

One of the Jubilee line station platforms (at Southwark?) is more-or-less a walkway from one end to the other.

I wonder if this is what you're thinking of? If you want to leave the eastern end of Waterloo East station (ie not going towards Waterloo Main), you can access Blackfriars Road ... but only, from what I remember from a while back, by going down and along an underground walkway [not actually the platforms?] which requires going in and out of Southwark Underground station's ticket gates in the process, before coming up onto the road. It could be a useful access to Waterloo East station for people not coming off the Jubilee Line - but it seems that option isn't allowed for. (Though it you are coming off the tube, it must be a quicker access to those main line trains than the trek from the Jubilee at Waterloo to Waterloo East.)

 

[AlbertBeale]

Harrow on the Hill springs to mind as qualifying

Yes, the route through from the north side (College Road) where the bus station is and lots of shops are, to and from offices on Lowlands Road, and housing etc etc at the bottom of that side of Harrow Hill, saves what would otherwise be a long walk round via one of the railway bridges. The covered route, and the coffee shop etc up on the bridge, are all outside the ticket barrier. However, although I used to use the station itself (and occasionally the cut-through) quite a bit some years ago, I'm not sure I can remember ever doing so very late when the station was closed or closing. So maybe, although its through use is allowed in the day, it's shut off when the station's closed?

There's also Euston Square, on the Underground. When they remodelled its rather squeezed innards some years back, to put in ticket gates and so on, they managed to keep a route outside the gateline to enable people to cross under Euston Road there (since the station has entrances on both sides). It's important that they kept that route, since there's no other way to get across that major road at that point (not just because it's rather dangerous to do so, but because of barriers, and the start of the underpass). However, although it's billed as a public subway, so people know they can use it to cross the road as well as for accessing the station, I'm pretty certain it does now close when the station's closed - at least it looked that way when I cycled past in the night not so long ago.

 

[AlbertBeale]

There's a substantial pedestrian flow through London Charing Cross station from the footbridge on the downstream side of Hungerford Bridge, through the concourse and out into Trafalgar Square.

Yes - that's been a major through route for Londoners for generations (including before the fancy new footbridges, when there was always just the old one alongside the railway on the downstream side). You could go from the South Bank complex to the Charing Cross station concourse (and on to Strand, Trafalgar Square, etc) without having to go down to the Embankment level and then up again up the hill alongside the station. It was closed for ages during the re-"development" of the buildings contiguous with the station, when you did have to go down to ground level at the north end of the footbridge. When the station is closed, the walkway as far where you cut into the corner of the concourse has usually still been accessible, but there are some steps down to pick up the road on the hill for the last stretch up to Strand.

 

[ANDREW_D_WEBB]

Didcot Parkway station subway links the town with the railway centre on opening days

 

[6026KingJohn]

A recent example of this is the much-maligned footbridge at the northern end of East Croydon. The stairs are on the north, the lifts are in the middle but on the south side is an unpaid walkway from one side of the station to the other. Last time I was there (late 2019) the development on the eastern side was still under way so it wasn't actually in use.

No. The problem is the eastern exit (the one you go through to get to Moor Street). If the A end of the platforms had a common barrier line then anybody using that exit would have to go up and down again. I don't believe there is a public right of way anywhere within New Street station or the Grand Central shopping centre above it.

The original New Street station opened in 1854 by the London and North Western Railway and was also used by the Midland Railway. With the opening of the West Suburban line through Selly Oak more room was needed and an extension was built on the other side of Queens Drive which opened in 1885. This necessitated a footbridge all the way from Stephenson Street to Hill Street crossing Queens Drive. This was a public right of way, and still is. The current eastern exit is near to where Queens Drive was and links to this right of way thus splitting the gateline between 1-5 and 6-12. When the station was rebuilt around 1960 the right of way was routed through the then shopping centre above the station and the station concourse accessed by escalators on the floor below where ticket barriers were erected. The current concourse is on that level and is the only level available for the right of way now.

Incidentally, this is why New Street station never had ticket collectors until the 1960s. New Street tickets were collected by the guard on express services between the last station and New Street. On suburban trains (non-corridor in those days) the tickets were collected at the last stop (Selly Oak, Vauxhall, Saltley etc.) and the train waited until this was complete. Imagine trying to do that nowadays.

 

[janahan]

Feltham has a temporary thoroughfare through the station (with lifts) for those with accessibility issues, whilst the works are currently being done. IT does require a "bridge pass" of some sort.

Context: the level crossing at feltham has been closed, and while the new footbridge with ramps is being built there is a horrible temporary footbridge, but it has steps no ramps. There is no other easy step free route from the south of bedfont road to the north part (the main roads is a huge diversion,a nd due to the works are not ideal for wheelchair users), so permission has been granted to go through the station onto the platform, and use the foot bridge with lifts to cross to the other platform and exist the other side.

 

[faltskog36abba]

I wonder if you left a concert to use the Metrolink and was stopped at the barriers and said you would buy a ticket on the platfrom, would they let you through?

I came through the said entrance last year after putting my mum on a train to Huddersfield. I was refused entry on to the concourse by some hired security fella, I was eventually let out after I found the dispatcher who put down the ramp for my mums wheelchair.

 

[FenMan]

The footbridges at Camberley, Egham and Staines are split between passenger and general use.

Likewise, the barrow crossing at Farnborough North, which links the cycle path from Frimley Green to Farnborough.

 

[snookertam]

Something that springs to mind reading this thread is that I believe there is no such concept as 'public right of way' in Scotland, it's just generally assumed that walkers have access to land under Scots law (someone with more expertise in that area will probably correct me).

Just wondering if that influences barrier set ups in Scotland. Generally speaking, gatelines at stations here tend to only be to access the platforms themselves (ie. right at the platform entrance), which can result in stations having ticke barriers dotted throughout them. In England, they seem to restrict access to a lot more of the stations from what people seem to be saying? Am I onto something here?

 

[PeterC]

I wonder if this is what you're thinking of? If you want to leave the eastern end of Waterloo East station (ie not going towards Waterloo Main), you can access Blackfriars Road ... but only, from what I remember from a while back, by going down and along an underground walkway [not actually the platforms?] which requires going in and out of Southwark Underground station's ticket gates in the process, before coming up onto the road. It could be a useful access to Waterloo East station for people not coming off the Jubilee Line - but it seems that option isn't allowed for. (Though it you are coming off the tube, it must be a quicker access to those main line trains than the trek from the Jubilee at Waterloo to Waterloo East.)

IIRC it was only intended for access to the Jubilee Line but I think people were being unofficially allowed through when Southwark was first opened. Once full barriers put a stop to that there was an outcry. It is always easier not to let something start than to stop it.

Before barriers I believe that people used to go through Chalfont and Latimer station to access the shops in Little Chalfont.

I think that Gidea Park is now barriered but it used to be a well used short cut between Balgores Square and the bus stops and shops.

 

[thenorthern]

Livingston South the subway under the track there is used also as a footpath to connect a housing estate to a the main road.

The subway there however was originally a cattle creep.

 

[mirodo]

A recent example of this is the much-maligned footbridge at the northern end of East Croydon. The stairs are on the north, the lifts are in the middle but on the south side is an unpaid walkway from one side of the station to the other. Last time I was there (late 2019) the development on the eastern side was still under way so it wasn't actually in use.

The original plans for the development were shelved, but a new planning application was submitted and approved a few days ago.

First photo of towers to be built next to East Croydon station

Hundreds of new homes will be built in two 25-storey towers

www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk

Plans to build hundreds of homes in two huge towers next to East Croydon station have been approved by Croydon Council.

Developers Menta and Redrow were given permission to create 445 new homes in twin 25-storey towers - known as Morello North and Morello South - on Cherry Orchard Road by the council's planning committee on Thursday (April 19).

The major Morello II project will also involve completing the public bridge link to East Croydon station and into central Croydon for people living on the Addiscombe side of the tracks.

 

[The_gardener]

When I cycled to school in the mid 70's it was possible to pass through Cheltenham station (although cycling was discouraged!). By then there were two parallel footbridge so that one ticket collector could cover both platforms. Now there are automatic ticket gates on both sides it is not possible to walk through. I imagine that as there is a nearby road bridge the open footbridge was mainly to allow easy access to the stop for buses to town in Gloucester Road. They now leave from the front of the main station building. There is the old story of the Midland Railway engineer who when asked why the station was so far from the town centre (over a mile) replied he had thought of it but on consideration decided it would be better next to the railway!

 

[4COR]

Similarly the footbridge at Sanderstead could legitimately be used as a footpath (it’s outside the barriered area). Less useful (ie it‘s less of a short cut) than Purely Oaks which would save 5-10 minutes.

And not far down the line, the footbridge at Upper Warlingham provides a link from the houses to the east (and the public footpath leading up the hill into the housing estate) towards the shops at Whyteleafe (and onwards to Whyteleafe station down in the valley).

 

[Hadders]

Kensington Olympia used to have a split footbridge. I believe it has now been changed to having barriers at the entrance to the platforms on both sides, the bridge itself being an unpaid area.

The footbridge is still split although there are barriers to enter the station.

 

[RHolmes]

Huyton has an underpass which connects the main town centre and bus station with the station entrance which is on the older side of Huyton/Tarbock.

Prior to platforms 3 and 4 being re-installed, platform 2 used to exit directly into the subway, and when the underpass was closed, the diversionary route was to go via Platform 4 to platform 1, and exit through the station building itself (which is still possible as there are no ticket gates)

 

[Coolzac]

London Paddington station is a public right of way, which I only discovered recently whilst talking to the lovely station manager whilst we were waiting for the delayed departure of the sleeper.

 

[AlbertBeale]

London Paddington station is a public right of way, which I only discovered recently whilst talking to the lovely station manager whilst we were waiting for the delayed departure of the sleeper.

When you say it "is" a right of way - presumably that applies not to every inch of the station, but to a particular route that you can traverse? (Though I think that, even then, rights of way aren't necessarily tied to a precise route, but to the right to use a route - perhaps one that the landowner can define - between two boundary points of a piece of land.) I'm trying to think what might - historically - apply in this case? Could it be from the ramp down from Praed Street (by the steps to the Bakerloo line), across the concourse, along the side of the platforms, to the canalside near the new H&C station? I think there's a way of doing that with no barriers/gates/etc, and it would probably be difficult to find a way to do the same journey up the outside of the station past the hospital? Can you clarify this at all? Or maybe I'll wander into the station at 3am one day and see what's possible...

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Bridgwater always seemed to have a convoy of locals using it as a footpath, but I don't know if it's an official walking route.

 

[Coolzac]

When you say it "is" a right of way - presumably that applies not to every inch of the station, but to a particular route that you can traverse? (Though I think that, even then, rights of way aren't necessarily tied to a precise route, but to the right to use a route - perhaps one that the landowner can define - between two boundary points of a piece of land.) I'm trying to think what might - historically - apply in this case? Could it be from the ramp down from Praed Street (by the steps to the Bakerloo line), across the concourse, along the side of the platforms, to the canalside near the new H&C station? I think there's a way of doing that with no barriers/gates/etc, and it would probably be difficult to find a way to do the same journey up the outside of the station past the hospital? Can you clarify this at all? Or maybe I'll wander into the station at 3am one day and see what's possible...

I am not sure to be honest, but I imagine you are right, the main point of the right of way would be to enable people to get from the main entrance at Praed Street to the canalside entrance (or vice versa). They don't appear to block off any particular part of the station at night, but I imagine they could do if they felt it was necessary. I find it cool that you can walk through at night, though never having needed to do it myself!

 

[Deepgreen]

Clapham Common has a road subway. Shalford has a separate footpath bridge at the eastern end of the station. The old one was demolished in an accident with a rail engineering vehicle a few years ago. Vauxhall has a non-ticketed side of the subway. Brookwood has a subway giving access to the cemetery. I imagine there are tens, if not hundreds, more.

 

[steamybrian]

I believe that Bentley (Hants) and Warnham (Surrey) stations have a public footpath/right of way through the station including along part of the platforms. At Warnham this applied when the adjacent level crossing was completely closed to both road traffic and pedestrians.

 

[adamedwards]

The footbridge at Welwyn Garden City is also a footpath linking to the town centre. This is the reason that both platforms have their own set of ticket barriers at the bottom of the steps.

New Barnet and Oakleigh Park have similar layouts although only Oakleigh Park is a major route for pedestrians (and dismounted cyclists). Alexandra Palace has a curious two parallel bridges layout which means the rail bit can be segregated from the public path.

 

[urbophile]

Brunswick has a bridge connecting not just the two platforms, but a residential area on one side with bus stops and a business park on the other (and the station ticket office). No barriers at present and it is difficult to see how it would work with them.

 

[GlitterUnicorn]

Something that springs to mind reading this thread is that I believe there is no such concept as 'public right of way' in Scotland, it's just generally assumed that walkers have access to land under Scots law (someone with more expertise in that area will probably correct me).

Just wondering if that influences barrier set ups in Scotland. Generally speaking, gatelines at stations here tend to only be to access the platforms themselves (ie. right at the platform entrance), which can result in stations having ticke barriers dotted throughout them. In England, they seem to restrict access to a lot more of the stations from what people seem to be saying? Am I onto something here?

Certainly an interesting point and you might be on to something here.

Rights of way do exist in Scotland. While in England Rights of way are routes with specific legal protections, in Scotland any route that links two public places and has been used peaceably for 20 years is a right of way and has specific legal protections. This is over and above the rights granted by the land reform act and the right to roam. Whether railway law supersedes the protections given to rights of way is a different matter, and with Scottish land laws being as unclear as they are there's probably no simple answer. But theoretically I can't see why a railway footbridge or a route through a station shouldn't also be a right of way?

The Ramblers Association in Scotland (a group that engage in about as much litigation as hiking it seems) are in dispute with Network rail over this. Network Rail takes the position that using private level crossings that have been used by walkers peacefully for over a hundred years in rural areas is criminal trespass or otherwise violating railway bylaws.Their suggestion in the case of one popular hillwalking track was that walkers should crawl through a culvert rather than use the level crossing, clearly far more dangerous to walkers than simply using the crossing as intended. So far the chances of getting caught are negligible and it would be very difficult to prosecute, so the issue has been mostly ignored, although some guidebooks now suggest ridiculous diversions to avoid private crossings.

Then there's the case of places like Rannoch Moor and the Far North line where in some exceptionally remote spots, legally crossing the railway might require a diversion of several miles, and the less said about the Gaur Viaduct the better really.

Apologies, I've digressed into more rural issues, but the interactions between the railways and rights of way is quite interesting really.

 

[K.o.R]

Brussels South / Midi / Zuid has basically a shopping centre through the main underpass linking all the platforms.

 

[backontrack]

Muir of Ord has a bridge that spans the entire station from one road to the other, with stairs down to the platforms.

From the road, you can reach the far platform without stepping onto the near one first – or you can just walk all the way from one road to the other. The stairs to the platforms are like intermediate 'stops' on the 'way' from one end of the bridge to the other end of the bridge.

 

[AlbertBeale]

Certainly an interesting point and you might be on to something here.

Rights of way do exist in Scotland. While in England Rights of way are routes with specific legal protections, in Scotland any route that links two public places and has been used peaceably for 20 years is a right of way and has specific legal protections. This is over and above the rights granted by the land reform act and the right to roam. Whether railway law supersedes the protections given to rights of way is a different matter, and with Scottish land laws being as unclear as they are there's probably no simple answer. But theoretically I can't see why a railway footbridge or a route through a station shouldn't also be a right of way?

Actually, the origin of (at least some) rights of way in England is also based on the fact that they've been used for years... but there's (I think) a law passed a while back which set a deadline for such routes to be legally registered if they're to be maintained.

 

[AlbertBeale]

I am not sure to be honest, but I imagine you are right, the main point of the right of way would be to enable people to get from the main entrance at Praed Street to the canalside entrance (or vice versa). They don't appear to block off any particular part of the station at night, but I imagine they could do if they felt it was necessary. I find it cool that you can walk through at night, though never having needed to do it myself!

Yes - wandering around places like stations at night is a wonderful feeling. Years ago it used to be much commoner: even if the ownership rights were such that most stations could have been closed off if desired, either the openness of the design, or the fact that nobody thought to stop it happening, meant that main stations were frequently accessible, and seen as public places. (Well - before [re-]privatisation, they were!)
Having spent very many years working one street away from Kings Cross, I often used to wander through it in the middle of the night after a late session in the office.