Two railway crossings in Worcester will remain closed until 2028
The Brickfields crossing, and the Kays crossing, have been closed since September 2023
Two railway footpath crossings will remain closed for another two years following a council decision.
The Brickfields crossing, which connects Brickfields Park to Astwood Road, and the Kays crossing, linking Bromyard Road to Laugherne Brook Nature Reserve, have been closed since September 2023.
Worcester City Council’s Communities Committee extended the closures to 2028 on safety grounds, citing ongoing anti-social behaviour and serious incidents.
The Brickfields crossing was previously closed between July 2017 and July 2020.
Network Rail has raised multiple concerns about the foot crossings, including trespassing, vandalism, objects thrown at trains, near misses, and a fatal incident at Kays in 2019.
West Mercia Local Police and the public both backed the extended closure during consultation.
At Kays crossing, 62 per cent of respondents supported the closure, while 54 per cent backed the closure of Brickfields.
Jabba Riaz, deputy leader of the council and chairman of the communities committee, said: “I am very pleased that both the public and the committee have supported the continued temporary closure of these two crossings.
“While this will cause inconvenience for some people, it’s important that the safety of the public – both pedestrians using these crossings, and passengers and crew on the trains – is given priority.
“In both locations, there are other nearby footpaths that people are already used to using.
“Longer term, I hope Network Rail can get permission for both these crossings to close permanently.”
Both sites are temporarily closed under Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs).
Kays Crossing is currently ranked the 22nd ‘most at risk’ out of 341 footpath-type crossings on the Western Route.
Network Rail plans to apply to Worcestershire County Council for permanent closure orders, a process expected to take 18 months.