Gloucester railway station underpass to stay closed until autumn as power snag delays revamp

Work to revamp the underpass at Gloucester Railway Station will be delayed until at least the autumn as the construction of a new electrical substation is needed.

Great Western Railway (GWR) closed the underway to allow the works needed to go-ahead and make it step free.

Their plans, which also include installing improved lighting, CCTV and a widened northern entrance to remove the current blind corner, was due to be completed over the summer.

But company bosses say this work has been delayed due to complications with the power supply.

They now need a new electricity substation to be built which was not part of their original plans for the revamp.

It is understood that the design changes needed have taken much longer to agree than they had expected and work is now planned to start in the autumn.

Councillor Jeremy Hilton (LD, Kingsholm and Wotton) said he found it incredible that after such a long gestation period all the technical problems hadn’t been sorted in advance. He said the upgrade to the underpass must not be delayed longer than necessary.

“The project to upgrade the railway station underpass took years to get it approved and financed. It is good news that some work has been completed, such as the refurbishment of the track trays, but bad news that the rest of the work is going to be delayed.

“So many people used the subway as a short cut to the hospital from the bus station for example. They need it opened again. They must get on with the job in hand.”

The underpass closure sparked concerns last year among pedestrians who use it to cross from Great Western Road to get to the city centre.

But Gloucester MP Richard Graham and Gloucester City Council leaders worked with GWR to come up with a solution to allow access through the station.

Anybody can cross through the station itself, using the footbridge, for the duration of the works – so long as they enter and exit the station in 15 minutes.

People wishing to cross the station will need to sign up for a GWR SmartCard. This can be bought for £1 which is fully refundable when the card is cancelled and can be used while the station is open.

By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter

Gloucester News Centre – http://gloucesternewscentre.co.uk