Edward Fox says new rail crossing is a bridge too far
ACTOR Edward Fox has called an “unsightly” rail crossing planned for his home town as a bridge too far.
Mr Fox, 80, used his theatrical skills to stand up in front of 250 people at a public meeting to voice his objection at the new ramped bridge for Wareham railway station in Dorset.
The star of the classic Second World War film A Bridge Too Far (1977) believes the 19ft-high structure would be a blot on the landscape of the smart market town.
The Grade II listed railway station is currently served by a level crossing, which is controlled by locked gates and a security guard. But Network Rail says the existing crossing is a health and safety risk to the public and the cost of manning it is about £120,000 a year.
More than 2,200 people have signed a petition calling for the current crossing to be retained. Campaigners have pointed out that no one has ever been seriously injured there in 40 years and they want an automated gate linked to the signal system at the level crossing.
Mr Fox has lived in the hamlet of Steeple, near Wareham on the Isle of Purbeck, since the Eighties. He regularly uses the railway station to travel to London.
He said: “This is a vital issue, which will affect the day-to-day lives of local residents and have an irreversible impact on the town’s future. The proposal would also be a permanent blot on our town’s historic station.”
The railway station dates back to 1887 and the existing stepped railway bridge, which links the two platforms, is considered to be part of the listing.
Rail bosses want to create the new ramped crossing around the existing footbridge and say the 1:20 gradient has been designed to accommodate wheelchair users and pushchairs.