Riders have raised safety concerns over a proposed bridleway alongside a railway line that carries trains travelling up to 110mph.
Network Rail proposes to construct a new bridleway starting outside Tackley Station, Oxfordshire, that will run adjacent to the railway to the south, before rejoining an existing bridleway. The plans follow the closure of a level crossing at the station in April 2020.
Rider Jin Langstone, who has formed an action group with other riders and horse owners in the area to oppose the plans, told H&H she believes the bridleway is a “potential major hazard”.
“A lot of the local riders feel the bridleway could be hugely dangerous, because of its length and the likelihood of us meeting a train. The trains are at ground level, up to two to three metres in height for freight trains, and I don’t think all horses will be able to cope with that,” she said.
“I don’t think we can mitigate riding along 1000m next to a railway where there might be trains going past at high speeds.”
Jin added that the bridleway is going to be used by lots of other users, and she has concerns that if a horse was spooked by a train and the rider fell off, a horse could become loose.
“We are still in discussions with Network Rail and we’re asking if they can find an alternative, but that’s not happened yet. We believe there are a number of alternative options and several other footpaths that could be linked in. We’re absolutely fine that we may need to ride along part of the track, but just not that length – it’s not safe,” she said.
The British Horse Society has been working with the group, and BHS head of access Will Steel told H&H the society “recognises the importance of safe off-road riding for all equestrians and is committed to enhancing and maintaining the UK’s access network”.
“As part of this pledge, our access and rights of way team support riders on a local level to ensure bridleways and byways remain safe, secure and passable,” he said.
“In this case, we are working closely with Network Rail, Oxfordshire County Council and equestrians in the area to ensure the best possible solution for everyone involved.”
A Network Rail spokesman told H&H safety is the company’s “number one priority”.
“Our proposal at Tackley level crossing will ensure everyone, whether walking, riding, cycling or using a wheelchair near the railway, is kept safe. After considering a wide range of options, we determined the most suitable is to create a new four-and-a-half-metre wide bridleway, which will be set a minimum of seven metres away from the tracks, separate from the railway,” he said.
“We have carried out a public consultation and met with local residents, including the riding community, to discuss our plans. The consultation has now closed and we will report the findings as soon as possible.”
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