Patience plea as Victorian station work begins

The work is expected to be completed by the summer

Work has started to put a new footbridge in place at a historic station in southern Scotland.

Opponents of the project argued that it would be "out of scale" with the B-listed Victorian buildings in Dumfries.

The existing footbridge will be removed and replaced with a new accessible bridge with lifts.

Network Rail has asked for public patience with the scheme expected to take until the summer to complete.

Train services will continue to run as normal but there could be some temporary changes to access during the construction.

Opponents have said the scheme is out of scale with nearby buildings

Amanda Naughton, Network Rail’s project manager, said they were pleased to begin work to fit the new bridge.

She said they believed the new structure would compliment the station's "unique architecture" while improving the passenger experience.

"Over the coming months there will be a significant amount of construction activity at the station and we thank passengers and those working and living nearby for their patience as we deliver these essential improvements," she added.

The work is being carried out to make it easier for those with limited mobility or travelling with children, luggage or cycles to move between the platforms.

However, concerns have been raised about the size of the new bridge which opponents felt was not in keeping with the nearby station buildings.