Residents call for train station ramp to be saved

Residents in a Derbyshire town are calling on councillors to reverse their decision to demolish an old wooden ramp next to a railway station.

Locals say since the ramp was closed in Dronfield in 2018 a worrying number of school pupils have used the station instead as a cut-through.

There are further concerns about the lack of access for wheelchair users and others with mobility issues

However Derbyshire County Council says it cannot afford to repair or replace the ramp, which has stood in it’s current form since 1910.

Sophie Ruddiforth has a child at Dronfield Henry Fanshaw School and has advised them not to use the station short cut.

“Realistically it gives them much quicker access to where they need to be. They carry heavy bags. I get it.

The train goes past at extremely fast speed though. It’s waiting for an accident to happen”

Kate Robson's children also attend the local secondary school. Her husband works on the railway and she says she tries to "teach them about rail safety"

"They still walk through because all their friends do. We know the children mess about and ties and shoes are thrown on the track.

"It's only a matter of time before something terrible happens"

School head teacher Martyn Cooper said he felt "passionately" about the train station having a safe and accessible ramp for pedestrian users. 

"We have worked with Friends of Dronfield Station and the local MP to try and champion a replacement and are keen to continue to do this," he said.

Michael Muntus, chair of Friends of Dronfield Station, said the ramp's removal would be a "historical loss" to the town but also raises huge concerns about accessibilty.

"There'll be some train users who will no longer use Dronfield Train Station because they can no longer easily access Platform," he said.

"There must come a point when there is no good enough reason to deny people the freedom to move about. All of us need some help with mobility."

Charlotte Cupit, the county council's cabinet member for highways assets and transport, said: "The ramp was closed several years ago as it was no longer safe to use. It’s condition has deteriorated further and now needs to be taken down.

"It has gone beyond repair and the cost of a replacement is too great - in the hundreds of thousands - and would put undue pressure on our already very stretched budget for highway maintenance covering the whole county.

"All schemes have to be prioritised and unfortunately we hope residents will understand we cannot justify the level of expenditure on a replacement, when there are alternative paths, if it means having to cancel important other maintenance projects like highway resurfacing across the county."

Derbyshire County Council is now applying for planning permission to demolish the ramp but has pledged to consult with local residents as part of the planning process.

Follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.