October 2018. We hear Angel Road station in North London is closing in May 2019 when it’s replaced by the new Meridian Water station nearby. This will make its footbridge redundant…..and as it spans overhead lines it would be the right height for Pilning. If you look at AllTheStation’s video filmed there, it’s pretty modern and all-steel, so hopefully it’d be relatively easy to dismantle, move and re-erect it. At present the two staircases face opposite ways, but one would imagine that could be changed pretty easily.
(Update 24 January 2019) – Of 27 responses to the DfT consultation, 21 urged that the footbridge be dismantled and re-erected at Pilning station. Please read our press-release here: –
ANGELS COULD BRING BACK PILNING STATION FOOTBRIDGE!
(Update April 2019) – The following correspondence was received from Network Rail:
- A message from NR Western Community Relations Manager to Pilning Station Group: “There are no plans or justification for spending taxpayers’ money on reinstating a footbridge at Pilning. This does mean that if you were successful in raising funds to move the bridge, there is not a justification for us to place the footbridge once received.”
- A message from NR Senior Public Affairs Manager to Pilning Station Group | Anglia: “The footbridge at Angel Road will be demolished following the closure of the station. To dismantle, transport and reinstall it at Pilning would be very challenging and incur significant cost, and this isn’t something we have budget available for or can justify at present.”
- A letter from NR Western Route Managing Director to Jack Lopresti MP: “There are no plans or justification for spending taxpayers’ money on reinstating a footbridge at Pilning.”
#FAIL