Priorities wrong for rail travel

STUART Nicholls' letter (Gazette, February 4) concerning the Arundel Chord is very interesting and makes some pertinent points, but until West Sussex County Council and local councils get their planning decisions and priorities right, an improved rail service for West Sussex will never materialise.
By The Newsroom
Published 25th Feb 2010, 13:54 BST
Updated 25th Feb 2010, 13:55 BST

The frequency of service cannot improve while the West Coastway and Arun Valley lines have so many level crossings and that can't be solved by Network Rail.

The county council has to build bridges or underpasses over or under the tracks.

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These would need land either side of the crossing, and there are eight level crossings alone between Ford and Worthing, thanks to a lack of forethought by local and county councils and the encroachment of housing developments close to some of these sites, making it increasingly difficult to build bridges, etc., without causing disturbance to, or destruction of, these newly-constructed buildings.

One example is at Angmering station, where land on the eastern side of

Station Road, between Worthing Road and the Roundstone bypass, was ripe for a bridge to be build over the station crossing.

Most of the industrial estate had been demolished and the petrol station next to the bypass also went.

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The only substantial building left on that side was the station house itself, of which the dwelling part remained empty for years and would no doubt have been readily demolished by the railway company for the advantage of having a bridge to replace the level crossing.

Now there is housing on the petrol station site and the monolithic block of Milliers Court on the industrial site, hardly an ideal spot for the elderly occupants living there, with vehicles belching noxious fumes while they wait for the crossing gates to open.

Councils are too quick to allow development without considering the consequences and even the national government allows ill-conceived developments merely to boost its housing figures.

K. Paine

Woodlands Road, Littlehampton

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Related topics:West Sussex County CouncilWest SussexNetwork Rail