IF you’ve been out on daily exercise this week and walked past Wokingham station, you will have seen that the historic footbridge has been covered over.
Regular readers will remember that the site needs to be refurbished, so that it can made fit for purpose for the 21st century.
The pedestrian crossing over the railway tracks is a Grade II listed structure and was originally opened in the late 19th century.
It is unusual as it uses iron from recycled rails.
A 2017 inspection found that there were cracks in the stonework, damp in the stair tread, paint loss throughout and corrosion causing loss of thickness on the full length of the stairs.
A planning application was lodged earlier last year, but rejected. At the time, Network Rail said that as the bridge is in a poor condition, its works will “ensure the asset continues to be safe for general public use as well as eliminating risks to the running services, passengers and all railway users”.
Now, a way forward has been found. Instead of a Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) for the stairs, Network Rail is preparing to go down to the woods today.
A Network Rail spokesperson said: “Network Rail has put up scaffolding and is awaiting approval from Wokingham Council so the work to refurbish the Grade II listed bridge at Wokingham station can begin.
“The stair treads on the bridge will be upgraded using hardwood timber that are anti-slip.
“When work begins, the bridge will be closed until mid-March to allow engineers to repair the ageing structure so the historic footbridge can be used by passengers for many years to come.”
