“Steve,

Be positive. Let the footbridge take up the middle third between buildings, with the remaining thirds each side for deliveries and emergency access. Enough space for everything then.”

“If you don't like waiting up to 40 minutes out of every hour in front of the level crossing barriers why not reintroduce horse racing into Lincoln and use the crossing in a National Hunt event?

The problem is not one of cars, trains, pedestrians or bridges. Here in Slovenia we can walk out in front of cars and trains whenever we like without all this health and safety nonsense.

This ban on horseracing over level crossing barriers is just another example of constant government interference in our liberties.

Instead of compulsory waiting - for so-called safety reasons - a simple Park And Ride warning sign disclaiming responsibility by Network Rail is all that is needed.

If shop owners adjacent to the crossing see a drop in sales they should adapt to market conditions.

Cash Converters already has facilities suitable for a betting shop. The
bed shop could become a place where animals could get their oats.

The Arriva Chase would also bring benefits to local knacker's yards, helping to restore the disastrous smell deficiency currently being experienced following the fire in Skellingthorpe.

Unlike the Carholme Road proposal, horseracing in the High Street will actually solve traffic problems, and with enough business sponsorship the Danwood Hurdle could in time make
Lincoln the post-it note capital of the world.”

“Peter, the problem of closing off of this piece of High Street is that there still has to be vehicular access for deliveries etc and emergency vehicles, so the ramped footbridge still wouldn't fit.”

“I stand corrected. Just found some old Lincoln Railway photos in the loft. One in July 1990 has the footbridge in it, and one in April 1991 does not.”

“It seems as if Network Rail is able to do what it wants. Is it though, able to permanently close the crossing to road traffic? The legal brains need to answer this one. If there is no limit then Lincoln must plan to make the best of a bad situation.
Let the High Street be pedestrianised from the traffic lights at St Marks, with limited traffic access as for the rest of the High Street. Then there is plenty of room to build a wide footbridge with sloping ramps and/or lifts in the middle of the road. The crossing gates would then be removed. The level crossing on Brayford Wharf would remain and this, together with the East West link, would have to be incorporated into a new traffic circulation system.

How about the City/County traffic planners doing something with this?”

“Chris

Ther foot bridge was still around end of the 80's beginning of the 90's so only make that 20 years??”

“they shoud put a bridge back here as it would stop all the queues waitng all the time for any train more so at the busiest times”

“Daismarg,

If I recall correctly, the old footbridge went to make way for the footings and posts for the lifting barriers that replaced the traditional crossing gates about thirty years ago.

Chris,

Totally agree with your sensble post early on.

Councillor,

Good point on the Brigg route, but a new curve would need to go in at Gainsborough to save locos having to run round their trains on the trent bridge. That would take the Lindsey Oil traffic off High St, but I gather NR plans to take the freight off and on the ECML at Peterborough, not Newark - reference the renovation of the Sleaford Avoiding Line.

Sadly for Shep & Malc, the High Line can never come back. Getting rid was a short sighted part of the 1985 consolidation. It saved having to put in a rising gradient from Skelly Road Xing only to go back down round the Boultham curve. The ideal solution back then would have been to route the curve in the opposite direction, and take all Newark rains over the High Line and then down onto the old Grantham line in Cow Paddle. The Nottinghams would then have used the bay plaforms at the east end of the Cenal Station. Another new length of track from the Bardney line to join again at Greetwell Hollow would have completed the job. Then only tains for Sheffield and Doncaster would have crossed High St.

The problem is, it is so easy to be wise after the event. We all have PHDs in hindsight!!”

“Why did they get rid of the foot bridge in the first place at the High Street crossing??”

“reopen the HIGH LINE or avoiding line as it is now called, compulsery purchase all the houses in its old route, its as simple as that,oh and by the way whoever decided to close it ,stick him in the stocks for a week !!!!!”