Angerstein crossing petition launched
A petition has been launched by residents to save the Angerstein foot crossing connecting Charlton to Greenwich and Westcombe Park station. Click here to view.
In other news local Labour councillors, the MP and council were all hot onto the case and contacted Network Rail, which is to be commended.
Network Rail have responded to concerns and admitted proposals to close the crossing permanently with just a few days notice without adequate consultation were not good enough. The issue is now being looked into again with the immediate threat of closure gone. A week long closure still looks on the cards.
Network Rail state closure may still be possible in the mid to long term. One reason given is more trains possibly using the branch line. That’s interesting to hear – does the Aggregate Yard require more services than it has for decades? I’ll be emailing them to find out.
Network Rail do have long term plans for another track to the site through what is now the Met Police’s car pound, but there’s absolutely no plans for this soon. If it happens in the next decade I’d be surprised.
Does the new signalling take this into account though I wonder?
It was covered on this site back in 2017 though somewhat buried beneath plans for new housing in the area.
Once again, the petition can be seen here.
There’s a new way to support the site. Click here to do so via Paypal.
When you try and find out about future use – I understand the line is also used to reverse trains which they don’t want to take though the Blackheath tunnel. Also – about doubling the track – the relatively recent bridge over Bugsbys Way was built double – why?? And – a really assiduous community blogger would find out the reason why the line to the Dome was removed.
Good news on the reprieve!
Re: the Blackheath line to Angerstein Wharf – is that proposed as an additional line or a replacement? I understand it previously went to / from Blackheath and it was changed to Charlton, giving a very circuitous arrangment.
The current track set up already goes through the car pound shortly after passing the Angerstein crossing – you can see it in this video taken by a driver of one of the freight trains https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K9JmBsb_yM. It also shows a car waiting on one side of the track to cross the track into the main car pound at 3m 35s. So that’s another track crossing (though not open to the public – I tried but the car pound people wouldn’t let me in).
Jo
I used that crossing a lot when I lived in Westcome Park. If you are shopping at ASDA or Sainsbury’s in the retail park it cuts a good 5-10 minutes off the journey back on foot, takes you away from the busy main road, and avoids you having to negotiate the nightmare that is the Angerstein Roundabout under the flyover. It will be a real shame if they do close it!
The proposed new line is in fact just the reinstatement of an old line – see on this 1902 map from the Greenwich Phantom – http://www.thegreenwichphantom.co.uk/uploaded_images/1902-map-of-peninsula-703440.jpg
Mike
Further detail on the reprieve in this item on Charlton Champion:
https://charltonchampion.co.uk/2019/04/11/threatened-angerstein-wharf-foot-crossing-gets-temporary-reprieve/?unapproved=36941&moderation-hash=92e66f33b09ec70dd93af2eb650e8283#comment-36941
Hopefully we will also get a name for the spokesperson as well to confirm that this is official.
In the end, Network Rail will do what suits it and no entreaties or petitions will cut any ice. This is just how organisations that have the whip hand behave.