Network Rail Must Respect Riverside Right of Way Over Footbridge

Network Rail is seeking to pull down the footbridge over the Bedford to Bletchley railway line along the riverside path in Bedford, near the Prebend Street Bridge. This may not mean much to those people who don't use that path, but the many people who do know it and who use this important route between the town centre and Queens Park and Kempston will know that this means people will have to use the path under the bridge. That would be fine, were the clearance under the bridge on the path not just 4 foot 9 inches, and liable to flooding which makes it impassable.

The path is a well used, important right of way which must be maintained, and while I respect Network Rail's need to put in overhead power lines over that stretch of track, before they do so they must reach an agreement on how they will ensure the right of way is preserved. This may involve lowering the level of the path to provide greater clearaance, so that those with back problems or other mobility issues area able to use it once the bridge has gone. It will also require measures to protect the path against flooding. Whatever the detail of the works, Network Rail must come to the table with the Council (which is responsible for rights of way) and come to an agreement to the satisfaction of both parties on the maintenance of an acceptable right of way. At the moment, however, they are carrying on with their unilateral plans to simply take the bridge down in two weekends' time. This is frankly unnacceptable.

After media interest in this issue this week, Network Rail got in touch and asked to meet me! I will be pressing them to be reasonable and come to an agreement before going ahead with the removal of the bridge. They are planning to take it down in just two weeks' time, so we will be working on this with urgency.