Going, Going, Gone!

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TimBrown
Posts: 1280
Joined: 05:59 Monday 4th July 2016
Location: Worcester

Going, Going, Gone!

Post by TimBrown » 16:02 Thursday 21st November 2019

As you probably know I spend a couple of mornings a week at Shrub Hill railway station to see the freight and passenger workings at Worcester. For several decades the old 'luggage' overbridge has been out of use following loss of Royal Mail work by the RES (Rail Express Systems) sector of British Railways. In April 2013 £1.5 million was earmarked under the Access for Disabled Scheme to restore the bridge and lifts for use of disabled passengers who still have to be escorted by station staff across the barrow crossing to access platform 2.

After a six year wait, action was noted in October 2019 with Murphy Civil Engineers dismantling the wooden roof and erecting scaffolding around both of the support towers. The following pictures are a record in date order of the progress culminating in removal of the Grade II listed steel structure over the last weekend Saturday 16 October 2019. Renovation will take place off site over the next four months, but money has yet to be allocated for new lifts meaning it will not fulfill the new role for a long time to come!
15 October 2019.
15 Oct. 2019 Shrub Hill 006.JPG
15 Oct. 2019 Shrub Hill 008.JPG
22 October 2019.
22 Oct. 2019 Shrub Hill 002.JPG
25 October 2019.
25 Oct. 2019 Shrub Hill 001.JPG
25 Oct. 2019 Shrub Hill 005.JPG
25 Oct. 2019 Shrub Hill 007.JPG
8 November 2019.
08 Nov. 2019 Shrub Hill 002.JPG
08 Nov. 2019 Shrub Hill 006.JPG
08 Nov. 2019 Shrub Hill 011.JPG
08 Nov. 2019 Shrub Hill 012.JPG
21 November 2019.
21 November 2019 Shrub Hill 002.JPG

TimBrown
Posts: 1280
Joined: 05:59 Monday 4th July 2016
Location: Worcester

Re: Going, Going, Gone!

Post by TimBrown » 14:51 Tuesday 3rd December 2019

Here are a few pictures taken early this morning from the over-bridge at Shrub Hill looking north. The removal of the old luggage bridge has given rail enthusiasts a whole new photographic backdrop and a 'full-frontal' of the celebrated semaphore signal assembly.
03 December 2019 Shrub Hill 008.JPG
03 December 2019 Shrub Hill 009.JPG
03 December 2019 Shrub Hill 012.JPG
03 December 2019 Shrub Hill 014.JPG
03 December 2019 Shrub Hill 016.JPG
In addition the station has just been graced with new signs in West Midlands Railway colours; being lighter and brighter they are a definite improvement over the old ones and really stand out as pointers for 'Way Out', 'platform numbers' and 'Toilets' should.
03 December 2019 Shrub Hill 005.JPG
03 December 2019 Shrub Hill 017.JPG

MattW
Posts: 979
Joined: 20:42 Sunday 3rd July 2016
Location: Cornwall

Re: Going, Going, Gone!

Post by MattW » 16:00 Tuesday 3rd December 2019

Still such an atmospheric place, I'm not sure whether that's because of its history or because I've only ever known it as old and run down! Looks better now though 8-)

TimBrown
Posts: 1280
Joined: 05:59 Monday 4th July 2016
Location: Worcester

Re: Going, Going, Gone!

Post by TimBrown » 09:18 Friday 28th February 2020

Apparently the refurbished steel overbridge is not expected to be put back in place until at least August 2020, possibly even further into 2020 or 2021. Still no sign of funds to change the tower structure and fit the long overdue lifts for the wheelchair users and the disabled. If it is ever done, the overbridge will not be for use of the general public as it was reportedly never designed to take the weight of mass passenger movements. Therefore the disabled will eventually need to be escorted over by key holding station staff at some point in the distant future. Meanwhile £22 million has been spent on the Worcestershire Parkway station whilst Grade II listed Shrub Hill is crumbling for lack of funds.

Link; https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/ ... ry/1390156

TimBrown
Posts: 1280
Joined: 05:59 Monday 4th July 2016
Location: Worcester

Re: Going, Going, Gone!

Post by TimBrown » 11:50 Wednesday 14th April 2021

The new replica bridge was installed late on Saturday night 10 April 2021 and very early Sunday morning 11 April 2021. Took the attached pictures this morning Wednesday 14 April 2021, not sure if the drab blue-grey of the framework is the final colour, but most observers (self included) would appreciate a more inspired choice. Most of the stations run by Chiltern Railways for example are painted in early 1900s GWR dark and light stone, quite a bit lighter than post WWII chocolate and cream but attractive nonetheless, either way it would mean changing the whole station colour scheme and that won't happen as the canopies are Network Rail responsibility with WMR maintaining all the paintwork elsewhere. That said I am pleased that the new Worcester 'luggage' bridge isn't in West Midlands Railways rolling stock livery of purple and orange!

General consensus is that it will be a long time before lifts are installed (if ever) for use of wheelchair users and passengers with buggies or heavy luggage; even then it will only ever be on a one-to-one basis with users being escorted across by station staff - time will tell.
14 April 2020 Worcester 004.JPG
14 April 2020 Worcester 006.JPG
14 April 2020 Worcester 007.JPG
14 April 2020 Worcester 008.JPG
14 April 2020 Worcester 009.JPG
14 April 2020 Worcester 010.JPG
14 April 2020 Worcester 011.JPG
14 April 2020 Worcester 013.JPG
14 April 2020 Worcester 015.JPG

Matt
Posts: 47
Joined: 22:17 Tuesday 26th June 2018

Re: Going, Going, Gone!

Post by Matt » 18:22 Friday 16th April 2021

Bit out of sequence but here’s a picture from Twitter of the bridge on low-loder on its way to the station

https://twitter.com/WorcsTravel/status/ ... 62464?s=20

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