Rail footbridge closure is 'crazy' says council boss

Access to platforms one to six from the footbridge has been temporarily closed

The temporary closure of a public footbridge at Nottingham railway station has been criticised by the leader of the city council.

The footbridge, connecting Station Street to Queen's Road, had access to platforms one to six shut on a trial basis last month.

East Midlands Railway (EMR) said access was closed in an attempt to cut down on fare evasion, adding that a "minority of determined people" had been using the bridge to travel for free.

But Nottingham City Council leader Neghat Khan called the closure "crazy" and said other rail users should not be inconvenienced.

"It's disappointing that just because a few individuals decide to dodge paying for a ticket that everyone should suddenly see the impact", she said.

"My inbox is full with people complaining, whether it's businesses, residents, or taxi drivers about the inconvenience.

"People have actually missed their trains because of this."

Neghat Khan called the closure "crazy"

The closure has been running as a trial for just under three weeks and is due to end on 17 November.

An East Midlands Railway spokesperson said: “Platform access from the centre footbridge was closed as we have a duty to protect revenue – which is ultimately taxpayers' money and fare-paying customer's money."

They added the company will be "reviewing all the feedback to understand its effectiveness.”

However, Ms Khan said she was disappointed at not having been consulted about the plans.

"Since I've been leader I've always spoken about partnership working and this clearly shows a lack of communication," she said.

She added she would meet with EMR bosses on Tuesday.

The footbridge connecting the streets remains a public right of way, and people are still able to access the tram stop on Station Street.