| Penleigh Park Level Crossing (Westbury Avoiding Line) Closure Application. Posted by RA at 08:04, 6th June 2025 |     |
Network Rail have made an application to extinguish the Right of Way (footpath Westbury 15) across Penleigh Park level crossing to allow the crossing to be closed.
The link to the relevant Rights of Way section of the Wiltshire Council website is below.
https://apps.wiltshire.gov.uk/RightsOfWay/Path/Detail/dYilS3GU?row=P2025003
The Site Notice document shows the proposed alternative route for pedestrians.
| Re: Penleigh Park Level Crossing (Westbury Avoiding Line) Closure Application. Posted by bobm at 09:16, 6th June 2025 | |
More information about the crossing here. Not sure how up to date it is.
https://abcrailwayguide.uk/penleigh-park-public-level-crossing-wiltshire
| Re: Penleigh Park Level Crossing (Westbury Avoiding Line) Closure Application. Posted by Witham Bobby at 09:45, 6th June 2025 | |
£5,000,000 pounds for a footbridge to replace the crossing
Eyewatering!
I hesitate to imagine how that cost is broken down, but it's not all going to be design, steelwork and labour
Makes £60Bn for 140 miles of HS2 seem like a bargain
| Re: Penleigh Park Level Crossing (Westbury Avoiding Line) Closure Application. Posted by a-driver at 11:56, 6th June 2025 | |
£5,000,000 pounds for a footbridge to replace the crossing
Eyewatering!
I hesitate to imagine how that cost is broken down, but it's not all going to be design, steelwork and labour
Makes £60Bn for 140 miles of HS2 seem like a bargain
Eyewatering!
I hesitate to imagine how that cost is broken down, but it's not all going to be design, steelwork and labour
Makes £60Bn for 140 miles of HS2 seem like a bargain
Ridiculous. Someone mentioned it's a railway job, that's automatically an additional zero added!
There has to be an acceptance for the sake of safety that making everything fully accessible is just not feasible. Fully accessible either means lifts or a massive structure to enable ramp access.
All the houses they've built around Penleigh Park LC though, surely improvements to the crossing should have formed part of the developers planning application and funded by them.
| Re: Penleigh Park Level Crossing (Westbury Avoiding Line) Closure Application. Posted by grahame at 12:13, 6th June 2025 | |
Some more highlights from the application ...
The existing path, known as West 15/16, including the section over the level crossing (LC) (referred to by Network Rail as Penleigh Park FP level crossing), is currently open to the public.
The last routine level crossing risk assessment carried out by NR in August 2023 recorded a very high number of daily crossings, an average of 203.
This assessment was carried out post the redevelopment of the location. Until recently the crossing was rural on one side of the line, attracting only occasional use with leisure walkers and small amounts of commuters from Westbury. It is now a fully urban location both sides of the crossing are built with residential buildings up to the railway boundary.
The last routine level crossing risk assessment carried out by NR in August 2023 recorded a very high number of daily crossings, an average of 203.
This assessment was carried out post the redevelopment of the location. Until recently the crossing was rural on one side of the line, attracting only occasional use with leisure walkers and small amounts of commuters from Westbury. It is now a fully urban location both sides of the crossing are built with residential buildings up to the railway boundary.
The alternative route for the walking public would be via Oldfield Road, Bridge Court, Station Road, Amazon Way and vice versa, which is approximately an additional 1km journey. The alternative route from point to point is shown on Plan 2.
Network Rail have stated in their extinguishment application that there is now a serious risk of fatality If the level crossing is not closed. Network Rail’s assessment of safety concerns include the following:
• The level crossing has a very high number of daily crossings as it provides the most convenient access from the new housing development towards Westbury Town, local amenities, including the schools, shops, parks and recreation ground.
• The level crossing is located on the Westbury Avoiding Line which provides a faster link for trains.
• Network Rail is aware that the crossing is used by vulnerable and encumbered users deemed by Network Rail not be able to use the crossing with the same degree of awareness and safety as other users, the risk assessment modifies the time these users take to cross by 50%.
• Network Rail is also aware of misuse of the crossing.
• The crossing is already at the highest level of protection, therefore without the construction of a bridge no additional mitigation can be provided.
• The level crossing has a very high number of daily crossings as it provides the most convenient access from the new housing development towards Westbury Town, local amenities, including the schools, shops, parks and recreation ground.
• The level crossing is located on the Westbury Avoiding Line which provides a faster link for trains.
• Network Rail is aware that the crossing is used by vulnerable and encumbered users deemed by Network Rail not be able to use the crossing with the same degree of awareness and safety as other users, the risk assessment modifies the time these users take to cross by 50%.
• Network Rail is also aware of misuse of the crossing.
• The crossing is already at the highest level of protection, therefore without the construction of a bridge no additional mitigation can be provided.
With the development and the crossing where it is, sure as eggs is eggs crossing use numbers were bound to increase. There was a bridge at the top of the new development in plans but somehow that's not been built. It would NOT have been a total alternative, mind you.
I would totally agree that the current situation is a significant risk. Rather arrogantly Network Rail suggest they cannot provide extra protection - surely they could provide worked barriers as in Poole. They could of course make it safer by reducing trains speeds, but they ain't going to do that, are they - they say they can't.
What a mess ... it's not quite making 200 people each walk an extra 1km per day, but certainly significant inconvenience. It strikes me that Network Rail really don't like providing bridges and will dodge and reduce facilities which don't generate them much income where they can. Where else have they done that? BUT - it really shouldn't be left "as is".
£5,000,000 pounds for a footbridge to replace the crossing
Ridiculous. Someone mentioned it's a railway job, that's automatically an additional zero added!
All the houses they've built around Penleigh Park LC though, surely improvements to the crossing should have formed part of the developers planning application and funded by them.
Totally agree that it should have been worked out as the houses were being planned for.
| Re: Penleigh Park Level Crossing (Westbury Avoiding Line) Closure Application. Posted by eightonedee at 14:17, 6th June 2025 | |
All the houses they've built around Penleigh Park LC▸ (Level Crossing) though, surely improvements to the crossing should have formed part of the developers planning application and funded by them.
They will have paid for this through Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), for this site (a Zone 2 strategic site) at a rate of £30 per square metre of development, index linked from 2015 by reference to one of the building costs indices, to cover all the categories of infrastructure covered by Wiltshire's CIL policy, which includes upgrading public footpaths.
I note too that the site seems to lie on the site of the old Westbury engine shed. Was it sold by BRB/ Network Rail? If so they could have controlled this under the sales terms, but this would have reduced the value of the site by a sum to reflect the anticipated cost of these works.
The council could also have put a condition on the planning permission preventing occupation until the bridge was provided (and if Network Rail, as consultee, asked for it) but if there are objections and a public enquiry this clearly conflicts with housing delivery.
I agree entirely on the cost point. Why haven't Network Rail developed off-the-shelf modular footbridges bearing in mind that they are closing crossings all round the country, often replacing them with bridges?
| Re: Penleigh Park Level Crossing (Westbury Avoiding Line) Closure Application. Posted by Mark A at 14:37, 6th June 2025 | |
**Snip**
All the houses they've built around Penleigh Park LC though, surely improvements to the crossing should have formed part of the developers planning application and funded by them.
Indeed. No one would consider building a housing estate without funding road access, why is ok to build one and not fund the needed improvements to its supporting active travel infrastructure. The diversion's lengthy and its poor quality as a walking route is baked in. It would be good if someone found a budget for this.
Mark
Mark
| Re: Penleigh Park Level Crossing (Westbury Avoiding Line) Closure Application. Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 22:08, 6th June 2025 | |
£5,000,000 pounds for a footbridge to replace the crossing
Eyewatering!
I hesitate to imagine how that cost is broken down, but it's not all going to be design, steelwork and labour
Eyewatering!
I hesitate to imagine how that cost is broken down, but it's not all going to be design, steelwork and labour
Ridiculous. Someone mentioned it's a railway job, that's automatically an additional zero added!
Yep. We've been quoted £1,000,000 for Network Rail to provide a disabled ramp at Nailsea & Backwell.
