The footpath under the railway bridge on Gipsy Patch Lane, which has provided access to pedestrians and dismounted cyclists over the summer, will close on the morning of Monday 28th September 2020. The closure is in preparation for the bridge replacement works, currently scheduled to start at the end of October.
When the footpath closes, Network Rail will reinstate the shuttle bus service for pedestrians needing to access either side of the bridge. This service will be free of charge and will operate for the duration of time the railway bridge is closed to pedestrians.
The shuttle bus will start operation on Monday 28th September and will run weekdays, weekends and will also be available overnight. It provides a point-to-point service with no intermediate stops. See the project website for full timetable details.
The shuttle bus service will be operated by Stagecoach who are paying special attention to the items passengers come into contact with – handrails, bells, seats and poles – to make sure they are regularly and thoroughly cleaned. Passengers are reminded that the wearing of face coverings on public transport is compulsory at the present time.
A number of pedestrian and cycling diversion routes are also available during the closure. Details of these can also be found on the project website.
The footpath under the bridge was reopened to pedestrians and dismounted cyclists in April following the postponement of the bridge move originally scheduled to take place over Easter.
Network Rail and Alun Griffiths need to close the footpath now to allow them to continue preparations for the rescheduled bridge move, which is now due to take place between Saturday 24th October and Saturday 7th November 2020.