Two Worcester railway crossings to remain closed for another two years
It's part of ongoing efforts to address anti-social behaviour and improve public safety
Two railway crossings are set to remain closed for a further two years.
The closures are part of ongoing efforts to address anti-social behaviour and improve public safety.
One crossing connects Brickfields Park to Astwood Road, while the other, known as Kay’s Crossing, links Bromyard Road to Laugherne Brook Nature Reserve.
Both crossings have been closed since September 2023 and the Brickfields crossing was also closed between July 2017 and July 2020.
Network Rail is pushing for the permanent closure of the Brickfields crossing but needs to get permission from Worcestershire County Council – something that will likely take around 18 months.
In the meantime, Worcester City Council is likely to extend public space protection orders (PSPOs) already in place on the two footpaths that include the railway crossings.
Councillor Jabba Riaz, chair of Worcester City Council’s communities committee and deputy leader of the council, said: “These footpaths were closed after serious and persistent concerns about anti‑social behaviour and public safety on the railway crossings.
“While we understand the inconvenience closures can cause, our priority must be to protect residents and prevent further incidents.”
The committee will meet next week to decide whether to extend the closure, having carried out a public consultation.
While some residents supported the continued closures, others argued that all footpath users were being penalised for the actions of a few.
The council said before the PSPO came into effect the Brickfields level crossing saw an “extraordinarily high number of incidents”, which Network Rail says have decreased since the closure.
At the Kay’s Crossing, 10 incidents took place in a six-month period between May and November 2019 including a fatality and two near-misses.
There were also reports of people trespassing on the tracks and throwing objects onto the railway.
Kay’s crossing is ranked 22nd ‘most at risk’ out of 341 footpath-type crossings on the Western Route.
West Mercia Police has said it supports the continued closure of the crossings, particularly the Kay’s Crossing.