York Station - Public Footpath Question

[Alan2603]

A while ago I contacted Virgin East Coast by e-mail regarding opening a first class lounge at York railway station. In their reply, they also ‘answered’ a question that I didn’t ask, presumably regarding not installing ticket barriers at York Station.

Their (rather badly worded) reply about barriers is here:

‘’To add to this, that is another reason why there are no ticket barriers placed at the station due to the building being a listed building but also the bridge next to York that links to the station which is classed as a public footpath.’’

I am just to work out which bridge they are referring to as being classed as the ‘public footpath’. Is it the main bridge over the platforms (which links up the front of the railway station to the path to Railway Museum? Or is it the path that goes over ‘Scarborough Bridge’ from near the Royal Mail offices and leads into what is now the short stay car park I think? I cannot think of any other bridges at or next to the station.

If it is the latter (Scarborough Bridge)I am not sure how this would affect the installation of barriers, unless the ‘public footpath’ continued into the platform areas (does it?).

Interestingly at Northallerton yesterday I noticed VTEC had put up posters saying that there would be full ticket checks carried out on York Railway Station and not to leave tickets on the trains or otherwise dispose of them. Isn’t it rather pointless having full ticket checks if one can wander into the station via a public footpath?

Is York unusual in having a public footpath’ running through the station? Or is it commonplace?

Thanks
Alan.

 

[theageofthetra]

There is one at Guildford station I believe.

 

[takno]

There is one at Guildford station I believe.

Guildford is a split bridge if I remember rightly. That's quite a common setup, although not always mandated by a public right of way. I thought the bridge was split when they gated Reading because it was a right of way, but I'm not sure what's happened to that now the bridge is gone.

 

[greaterwest]

There is one at Guildford station I believe.

Guildford also has (ineffective) ticket barriers, though I believe the original idea was to provide surrounding residents with bridge passes, rather than to provide bridge passes at each gateline (which invariably end up everywhere else on the network but the opposite gateline)

Guildford is a split bridge if I remember rightly. That's quite a common setup, although not always mandated by a public right of way. I thought the bridge was split when they gated Reading because it was a right of way, but I'm not sure what's happened to that now the bridge is gone.

Guildford's bridge is not split, it's too narrow.

 

[Darandio]

Interestingly at Northallerton yesterday I noticed VTEC had put up posters saying that there would be full ticket checks carried out on York Railway Station and not to leave tickets on the trains or otherwise dispose of them. Isn’t it rather pointless having full ticket checks if one can wander into the station via a public footpath?

I reckon it will be the path to the museum, in which case it is often manned by a couple of staff at the top of the bridge checking tickets, or it least it is whenever I am there.

I assume the public footpath actually ends at the gate about 20 yards from the bottom of the steps and doesn't actually go through the station.

 

[najaB]

Is York unusual in having a public footpath’ running through the station? Or is it commonplace?

Doesn't Sheffield have one as well?

 

[cuccir]

There must be quite a few.

In a much more rural setting, Kents Bank station in Cumbria is well known for having the right of way across Morecambe Bay sands running out to/from it, and you have to walk through the station to reach the path. If you want to use it you're advised to walk in the accompaniment of The Queen's Guide to the Sands! There's a similar though less well used route on the other side of the Furness Peninsula across the Duddon Estuary that crosses Kirkby-in-Furness station.

 

[brompton rail]

Doesn't Sheffield have one as well?

Yes, but it is at the Southern end of the station, unpleasant and doesn't connect to any platforms. The bridge most readers will be familiar with connects the Tram Stop with the station booking hall and main city entrance/exit. This bridge replaced a previous bridge connecting all platforms late last century. A separate bridge, erected on behalf of the SYPTE, from platform 8 connected to the tram (at a different location to the current stop) was removed when the current bridge opened.

Public funds contributed to the cost of the new bridge, which has lifts to all platforms) and thus Sheffield City Council argue that the public should have unrestricted access. It isn't a 'Public Right of Way' however.

As York station bridge was extended from platform 11 towards the National Railway Museum to provide a convenient walking route (avoiding a long and in places narrow footway via the station front and under the station on Leeming Rd) again since privatisation I very much doubt that it is a 'Public Right of Way' either. On Race Days in particular York station has barriers to regulate passenger flow and check tickets. Permanent barriers are resisted by the City Council on Listed Building grounds, as they are is Sheffield too.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

The bridge at Weston-super-Mare has entrances onto the platform and to the outside of the station at the front and the rear.

I'm not sure whether it was ever a right of way, though. I doubt that it was, as both the gates leading outside the station are now closed, and they'd have had to remove the right of way to allow this. Not being local, though, I don't know for certain.

 

[DelW]

I thought the bridge was split when they gated Reading because it was a right of way, but I'm not sure what's happened to that now the bridge is gone.

IIRC, as part of the station works, an old subway was refurbished to take the footpath, its ends are outside the gatelines.

Guildford also has (ineffective) ticket barriers, though I believe the original idea was to provide surrounding residents with bridge passes, rather than to provide bridge passes at each gateline (which invariably end up everywhere else on the network but the opposite gateline)

Guildford's bridge is not split, it's too narrow.

And the east end of the footbridge comes down onto platform 2, so for the bridge to be split, it would have to be extended to give a staircase down outside the barriers.

I think part of the difficulty with residents' passes is that students from the University are a high proportion of footpath users. The bridge passes have been a source of some controversy and (allegedly) misuse for a number of years.

 

[GW43125]

IIRC, as part of the station works, an old subway was refurbished to take the footpath, its ends are outside the gatelines.



And the east end of the footbridge comes down onto platform 2, so for the bridge to be split, it would have to be extended to give a staircase down outside the barriers.

I think part of the difficulty with residents' passes is that students from the University are a high proportion of footpath users. The bridge passes have been a source of some controversy and (allegedly) misuse for a number of years.

I've heard of someone ending up at New Street on a bridge pass before... Apparently they were let through as it was a "good try"

 

[xotGD]

It is a pity that the bridge at Leeds isn't split. It would make a much more pleasant walking route into town than the dark arches.

 

[Ploughman]

Back to York.

How ong has the link been open?
15 years or so.
If less then a historic claim cannot be made for use of an existing footpath surely?

 

[EbbwJunction1]

From this map - https://cyc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Em...e&legend=true&active_panel=legend&theme=light - it looks as if there isn't a right of way across the station.

There's one at the back which runs towards Leeman Road and the entrance to the National Railway Museum, and another which runs from Leeman Road towards the river, but these are not linked together. It also doesn't look as if there's anything at the front of the station, either.

 

[Puffing Devil]

I thought the bridge was split when they gated Reading because it was a right of way, but I'm not sure what's happened to that now the bridge is gone.

IIRC, as part of the station works, an old subway was refurbished to take the footpath, its ends are outside the gatelines.

That's correct - Reading now has a public underpass that allows unrestricted access from one side of the station to the other.

 

[planetf1]

Last time I used the bridge at Guildford... In 2016.. I just said in going to the other side and was let through. No passes which somewhat calls into question the ticket checking they were doing either side


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[Deerfold]

Last time I used the bridge at Guildford... In 2016.. I just said in going to the other side and was let through. No passes which somewhat calls into question the ticket checking they were doing either side


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Last month I was given a bridge pass after my bus dropped me at the far side of the station, but I needed to visit the ticket office (there is a small ticket office there, but it was closed).

 

[lincolnshire]

The access to York Railway Museum via the footbridge within the station must have been agreed with some other party when it was expanded onwards towards the museum, but there again in them days they maybe wasn,t thinking about barriers to the platforms in them days.
It also allows access to the station from the large car park at the rear instead of going under Leeman Road bridge and round by the hotel to access the station platforms and booking office. It would be a bit daft now putting in barriers if you had parked your car in the car park at the rear only to find you had to make the long walk round to get to the ticket machines or booking office as you hadn,t a ticket to open the barriers.
It is closed after a certain time for the night so its not available 24 hours a day.

The other foot path through the short stay car park towards the Post Office sorting depot has electric gates which close off this footpath at certain times at night as well as the access via Queen Street car park from Holgate Road area with its electric gates.

So they are not maybe actually designated public footpaths as they are not available 24 hours per day.

I can remember when there was barriers and ticket collectors to stop you accessing the station platforms and you needed a platform ticket then to access the platforms if you wanted to see someone off or go train spotting.

 

[DarloRich]

The access to York Railway Museum via the footbridge within the station must have been agreed with some other party when it was expanded onwards towards the museum, but there again in them days they maybe wasn,t thinking about barriers to the platforms in them days.

It was agreed between NR, the SRA, the NRM, the city council and the operators to build the bridge for some festival in 2004

It also allows access to the station from the large car park at the rear instead of going under Leeman Road bridge and round by the hotel to access the station platforms and booking office. It would be a bit daft now putting in barriers if you had parked your car in the car park at the rear only to find you had to make the long walk round to get to the ticket machines or booking office as you hadn,t a ticket to open the barriers.
It is closed after a certain time for the night so its not available 24 hours a day.

Is it closed off at night now? Where are the gates? it offers a useful walking route between railway offices. However I doubt it is a public footpath.

If you needed to barrier that entrance you would just install remotely operated gates like many other stations with ticket machines in the car park. That really inst much of a challenge. ( I am not saying there should be gates btw)

 

[Deepgreen]

Reigate, too, has a path through the subway outwith the barriers.