Wide Angle Wednesday - Lines

There go on forever, these steps. They cross the main midlands railway just outside the village, as part of a diversion to the old established Public Right Of Way. The PROW has been "temporarily closed" for some years now while lawyers discuss the details of how dangerous the rail crossing is. 

With some insight into risk assessment I know how easy it is to make a decent living arguing in circles, and I suspect this is what's been happening. In the meantime there's this permitted route that utilises a stairway built for railway worker access but is arguably not fit for the general public because it has steps... 

Some are arguing for a tunnel, so that the less able can cross the railway line, but the ground surveys seem to suggest the embankment is not suited to this expensive option. Some argue for a visually intrusive bridge, which of course would increase the number of steps to be climbed. 

At the same time the massive increase in houses close by the railway has increased the number of likely crossings, thereby raising the risk profile of the crossing itself. The real risk is that some kid at a computer will run a desktop exercise and "prove" the whole right of way should be shut down.