'Dangerous' Wareham railway crossing plan views sought

Plans to upgrade a rail footbridge to replace a level crossing once branded one of the most dangerous in the country have opened to public consultation.

Dorset County Council's proposals for the existing Wareham Station footbridge involve creating new step-free ramps up to the bridge at either side.

The level crossing is due to be shut over safety concerns, and as part of a national programme of closures.

The consultation runs until 8 December.

A listed building application has also been submitted to Purbeck District Council, which residents can also comment on.

Dorset County Council, which is working with Network Rail on the proposals, said the revamped footbridge would "provide a safer, permanent crossing facility" and be "less imposing in appearance than the previous designs submitted by Network Rail in 2013 and 2015".

Subject to planning approval, work on the footbridge could start in April 2018, the council said.

Network Rail said the level crossing had more than three times the number of incidents than any other crossing in the south-west of England.

CCTV released in 2009 showed a mother pushing her baby in a pram across the rail line as a train approached.

In 2010, manually operated gates were installed at the crossing as a temporary solution.

A date for the crossing's closure has not yet been set.