More Train Less Strain

Passengers using Bath Spa face a risk of being crushed and injured or worse as a result of the seriously flawed redevelopment of the station. Multi Development UK Ltd is redeveloping the station as part of its redevelopment of Bath shopping centre.

The £6.5 million plan includes the removal of the ramp access to and from the London bound platform, currently used by around 25% of passengers. The listed ramp was built by Brunel and is also used as a car park and a dropping off point for disabled and elderly passengers. Planning permission to demolish the ramp was granted to Multi by Bath and North East Somerset council several years ago so Multi could open up more retail units.

At a meeting in December between FGW's Executive Director, Mark Hopwood and More Train Less Strain, station Manager Andy Gallagher expressed concern that the only remaining exit, a narrow staircase, would not cope with the passenger flow. He added that he thought it impossible that anyone could have undertaken a full risk assessment or assessment of passenger flow through the ramp before the planning permission was granted. A small lift is to be installed to allow disabled people and passengers with baggage access to the platform but the station master confirmed that this would be small, and so would not replace the capacity lost by the removal of the ramp.

MTLS has launched a campaign to save or replace the ramp. The stairway is already full to capacity and congestion is chronic in the rush hour and made worse as the steep stairs lead directly to exit barriers that create a dangerous pinch point. If more people are forced to wait on the stairs to exit the station it will only take one person to trip and fall to create a panic and possible stampede, warned an MTLS spokesman.