New railway bridge plan for Offord Cluny unveiled
Offord Cluny crossing - Credit: Archant
Network Rail has unveiled its proposal for a new road bridge over the railway at Offord Cluny.
A public consultation is underway on plans to close all the level crossings on the East Coast Main Line between London and Doncaster.
As part of what is proposed, Station Lane between the Offords and Buckden would be shut off at the present crossing.
Network Rail has produced an alternative, which would include a new road looping north of the village, linking Station Lane and the B1043.
It has come up with two options, one with a roundabout in Station Lane, the other a simply a bend, with a T-junction into the yard adjacent to the railway line.
The footpath at Gills Crossing would also be closed and replaced with a bridge for pedestrians and cyclists at Station Lane.
The plans went on show for the first time at the Offords Village Hall on Saturday (July 19). They are due to be on display again at the same venue from 4-8pm tomorrow (Thursday, July 24).
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Chairman of the Offords Parish Council, John Gimblett, said councillors were yet to discuss the issue, but his view was that Network Rail had come up with a reasonable option.
“It doesn’t look too bad,” he said. “From our perspective, it will add about 1km on to the journey to Buckden but that’s a relatively small price to pay when you consider the time waiting at the level crossing.”
Mr Gimblett said there was likely to be a request for a cycle path as well, completing the link that already exists from Buckden Marina.
A spokesman for Network Rail said the closure of the crossing was part of its commitment to deliver a safer, more efficient and reliable railway.
INFORMATION: To comment on Network Rail’s plans, email ECMLlevelcrossings@networkrail.co.uk. For more details, visit www.networkrail.co.uk/ECMLlevelcrossings. To see what Network Rail is proposing for Offord Cluny, click here.
