Nottingham City Council leader slams 'frustrating' closure of railway station footbridge

The new leader of Nottingham City Council Neghat Khan pictured at Nottingham Castle in a black dress
-Credit:Joseph Raynor/Reach PLC


Nottingham City Council's leader says the decision to restrict access to a Nottingham railway station footbridge again is "frustrating" and shows that East Midlands Railway has chosen to "ignore" concerns. People using the footbridge connecting Station Street to Queen's Road will be unable to access most platforms at the city railway station from February 22.

The operator believes many were using the side entrance to bypass the ticket barriers that people have to pass through if using the main station entrance on Carrington Street. Following a controversial three-week trial in October 2024, the operator believes restricting access will save £1.1 million a year.

Yet one business owner on Station Street says he will be "scraping by" if the closures are made permanent, given the decreased footfall it may cause. EMR has been unable to confirm whether the upcoming closure will again be a three-week trial, as a local business owner says he has been told, with the operator simply saying it will keep the restrictions under review.

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Nottingham City Council's leader, Neghat Khan, previously wrote to the boss of East Midlands Railway warning that the firm would face "reputational damage" if it continued with the footbridge closure. In a statement on the new closure, announced on Friday (January 31), Councillor Khan said: "This is frustrating — East Midlands Rail has chosen to ignore the serious concerns raised by the city council and many members of the public around this closure.

"I am disappointed that a meeting to review feedback from the previous closure and discuss a future decision did not happen before this decision was made. I will be meeting with EMR, but I am disappointed that it comes after a decision has been made yet again.

"The closure of the footbridge will cause inconvenience to honest, paying passengers, while fare dodgers will simply find other ways to avoid paying. I will continue pushing for answers and urge EMR to engage more openly with stakeholders."

An interior view of a footbridge at Nottingham Station
The footbridge connects Station Street to Queen's Road -Credit:East Midlands Railway

Philippa Cresswell, customer service director at East Midlands Railway, said: "The first short closure of the bridge laid bare the stark extent of ticketless travel that was taking place via the footbridge. This money belongs to the taxpayer and is vital for the railway to successfully operate, improve, and secure investment.

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"We recognise that the pilot was not universally supported and increased the time it took for some customers to access or change trains. However, the benefits were too great not to progress this matter further.

"The first short closure of the bridge also highlighted significant safety and security benefits - including three direct interventions to support suicidal individuals. The closure, which will be kept under review, will allow us to capture more data and evidence around the issue.

"Of course, we are aware that this decision will not be popular with some parts of the community, but it is only right to protect the taxpayer and test our analysis and conclusions that were highlighted around safety."