Network Rail respond to our email and will now keep Upper Halliford Path open
Network Rail accept our case that closure created a dangerous situation
When the path to Upper Halliford Station was recently closed we immediate wrote to Network Rail pointing out this created a dangerous situation and "cut off" Sunbury from Upper Halliford.
To their credit, they have reconsidered the situation quickly and accepted our point that it needs to be kept open. They have promised to re-open it within a week.
This is the email we received from Network Rail:
Station Improvement work - Upper Halliford Station platform renewal
Dear Lawrence,
Thank you for your email and apologies for the short delay in coming back to you over the bank holiday weekend.
Our original decision to implement this diversionary route was agreed in conjunction with the local authority for the safety of pedestrians and passengers, given the pavement was beginning to crack along the footpath, and its proximity to the worksite. However, following the concerns you've raised about the safety of passengers/pedestrians using the alternative diversion route you've outlined below, the project team and colleagues from the local authority have reviewed the footpath closure and have decided to top up the stone over the cracked pavement and tarmac and use barriers to create a safe walking route past the work site along the red line below, instead of closing the footpath for the duration of the works.
To keep pedestrians safe we will create this walking route and then reopen the footpath. I will keep you updated and let you know when this is in place.
Thank you for bringing these issues to our attention and I hope this is a helpful update.
Followed by this:
... this path should be reopened to pedestrians, including the schoolchildren who use this route, from Monday [17 May] morning. The path has been re-laid and the team are installing some final barriers to keep pedestrians safe when walking along here.
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