More about Watchet crossings

A report in the West Somerset Free Press suggests the owners of the footbridge at Watchet, the local district council, may have agreed to demolish the structure. It was the council who declared it unsafe and closed the bridge in 2009. The report goes on to suggest the council are to be asked to fund the demolition and the provision of a brand new footbridge. Well, that took a bit of time for that requirement to sink in, eh?

If the OK is given it seems the footbridge - dating from the 1880s will be taken down before trains start running again on 19 February but I guess there are later gaps in rail traffic for that work; and to procure from a specialist company in Wolverhampton a new footbridge made of modern materials but to a "heritage" style. Installation would have to wait until November when the trains stop running for a few weeks.

Meanwhile, just to the east, the issue of the gates at Govier's Lane Crossing continues to exercise minds. Late last year, a meeting was held at Watchet between local people and the Railway. Representatives from the Railway Inspectorate (who lay down guidelines and approve railway works such as Govier's Lane Crossing) also attended. Some of the discussions can be seen on Admiralscorner's channel on YouTube. The outcomes are yet to be announced but the gates have been officially chained open (to pedestrians) during the current "no trains" period. What happens from 19 February when trains restart for the 2011 season has yet to be seen.

In the other direction, the Railway have embarked on a major renovation exercise on the Mineral Line Bridge. This skew bridge spans the trackbed of the erstwhile West Somerset Mineral Railway, the trackbed now forming the popular Mineral Line Walk to Washford. As far as I can tell, the Mineral Line Bridge works have not generated local comment. Good.

Going back to the footbridge, it is said the new structure will look much like the existing one, Which is good as the heritage ambience of that part of Watchet will be unaffected. Or will the design require modification to allow wheelchairs, mobility scooters and pushchairs to cross, for the first time at this point, the Railway? There is sure to be an Equality Assessment. And will the Equality Assessment require ramps as well as steps? There seems to be room for ramps but at what detriment to the view on the road approach to the town from the south and to what extra cost to the council taxpayers?

The saga of the Watchet crossings seems likely to continue for some time yet...

Wheelchair users could be denied travel on West Somerset Railway

The WSR has introduced new policy for disabled visitors. It contains useful advice about which station facilities are suitable or not. It seems the "disabled", if they can show they are indeed "disabled", can get half fare travel, and their carer likewise. I'm not quite sure who on the WSR staff determines whether a visitor is "disabled" and who is a "carer". Personally, I think it would be better for the Railway to charge full fare and use the extra revenue to invest in better facilities on the trains and stations for those who find the present arrangement wanting. To be fair, the WSR has and is investing in better facilities. A little more cash might speed that work.

Now, the new policy has a particular fault which visitors using wheelchairs and motorised scooters do need to pay attention to. The policy lays down maximum dimensions on the trains for wheelchairs and motorised scooters - 1200mm long, 700mm wide, 1350mm high, 1200mm from floor to lap, 150mm from floor to top of shoe. The WSR have adopted the dimensions from UK and EU regulations for accommodating wheelchairs in new-build trains and other railway facilities. The regs do not apply to heritage railways. Furthermore, my research finds the regulations were based on the results of a consultation exercise which measured lots of wheelchairs but which failed to deliberately include a good representation of all users especially long-term wheelchair-bound adults, many of which cannot use the "reference wheelchair" as now specified in the regulations. So, we have a UK and EU regulation based on a flawed consultation exercise and now adopted by a heritage railway who, despite having their attention drawn, seem to want to ignore the faults and the inappropriateness of the regulations to their business.

The WSR say those who use "oversize" wheelchairs can ask for an "assessment" which, if successful, may allow them to travel. I have no idea, and the WSR have declined to explain, what processes the "assessment" uses, who carries it out, where it is carried out and when. I suspect the WSR have not even thought about it, yet.

The result is many wheelchair-users, perhaps including some regular WSR visitors, will find themselves barred from travelling on this heritage railway.

I know one wheelchair-bound user who has used the WSR trains since 1977 with no problem, incident or complaint (from either side) and who now find his wheelchair exceeds the maximum dimension by a few centimetres and technically cannot be carried. And that despite no change to the Railway infrastructure, no change to the ramps used to get the wheelchair on and off the train, no change to the accommodation inside the train. Nothing has changed. Except the rules. To me, that sounds like discrimination and could be challenged in court if someone felt so inclined.

Many representations have been made to the Railway asking for a rethink but it is clear from their replies that they have no intention of changing the maximum dimensions.

Like many folk who have a wheelchair-bound member of the family I remain positive and optimistic that one day the WSR will see the light and modify the policy to enable almost all wheelchair users to travel on the best heritage railway in the land.

By train from Minehead to Bristol?

No excuses for using another picture of the Virgin Voyager, this time coming across the "ladder" at Norton Fitzwarren and joining the Minehead Branch. At the recent meeting for active volunteers, the Chairman of the WSR Plc announced the possibility of a regular diesel-powered service from Minehead to Bristol during the high summer. Not all arrangements finalised so it would be inappropriate to go into detail at this point in time but the initiative is quite a considerable milestone in the history of the "new" West Somerset Railway. From the re-birth in the early 1970s, it has always been the aim to use the Railway to get folks to and from West Somerset. Excursions have been running for years now, and the Taunton Shuttles during recent Gala events have begun to provide a "public service", but, hey, the Bristol trains, if they happen, will cut a new shine on the Minehead Branch rails.