Network Rail - where is our bridge into Kings Cross?

This Summer access to Kings Cross via the top end of platform one (from Wharfdale Road) will close for good.  In a hard fought planning process Network Rail promised to do a study into a bridge across the tracks at this spot into the station to perpetuate this vital safe, well lit access route:

‘we will commit to further pursue the creation of a bridge if in our view a practical, cost-effective and affordable solution emerges from the study’

You can read about it here.  Neighbour Sophie made a strong case at the time about how vital this route was for women, given the alternative of walking down the creepy side of the station.  She is trying to follow up on what has happened with this study into a bridge - there has been no further community consultation.  Now Sophie is being given the brush off by Network Rail, a publicly owned company.  She and neighbour John Ashwell have been trying to get a straight answer from Network Rail since January. 

It's pretty straightforward - we sat down with Network Rail and agreed face to face to a study proposal  and we haven't heard from them and they don't respond.  Does anyone have any suggestions how to get a response?  In the past I have found that they respond to lots of emails sent to their board members and phone calls to their offices - will harvest some addresses and post them here, along with phone numbers to ring.

Comments

[Andrew]

I have emailed Jennette Arnold (GLA constituency member for North East London http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/members/arnoldj.jsp) a few times about this issue, as I am concerned about the integration of the Kings Cross development into Islington generally, including the closure of this access point. No response whatsoever. Perhaps some more people emailing/calling her may get some attention?

[Andrew]

Also - was any indication given of the timeframe for the proposal, or who the "external consultant" was that was investigating the feasibility of a bridge between York Way and platform 1?

[Sophie Talbot]

Cheers Will, our Network Rail experience appears to show how little they care about the communities they plonk their infrastructure down in. If it's a flagship project it's greenlighted. If it's a community issue it gets sidelined until forgotten... History repeats itself... On ther feasibility study, it's been going for ages, I guess the amount of money NR has spent on consultants to do a whitewash job for them must be quite frightening. As a consultant myself I'm always astonished at what my comrades can get away with when institutions just want an issue to go away... I could rant for ages on this one. Suffice to say I'll bl**dy chain myself to the railings over this issue - local access to 'public' transport for all should be a fundamental right.

[jess]

what about a gender equality impact assessment?? if women are being disadvantaged and put in danger by this decision and it's a project using public money, might there be legal recourse? worth looking into perhaps...

[Andrew]

Still no response from Jennette Arnold.

Do you have names/email addresses/phone numbers of those responsible. I am happy to spend some time chasing this.

[Andrew]

After just having sent a letter to Ian Fry asking where the report is, I received a leaflet through my mailbox from Network Rail saying the study has been completed (by ARUP - independant??!). In summary they aren't going to build a bridge.

The report will be provided to Camden Council today for discussion. Do we know anyone at Camden who can give us a copy of the report?

There will be a meeting at some point in the future to discuss. Contact alastair.metcalf@networkrail.co.uk to find out more about it.

I noted in the original letter from Ian and this follow-up that the propsed approach and reason for not having the footbridge includes operational cost from barriers at the York Way end and staff to manage it. I would have suggested it is simpler/cheaper by having a simple bridge linking to the entrances on the other side not requiring staff on the York way side.

Perhaps a truly independant study would have approached it with a view of how to make it possible, not how to develop a business case not to make it possible.

Perhaps the 250k to improve the environment of York Way that Network Rail are proposing is used for a truly independant consultant to develop a solution.