MORE than 300 residents packed a highly-charged meeting on the future of Wareham’s controversial pedestrian level crossing on Thursday night.

The crossing, recently named by Network Rail as the most dangerous in the UK, looks set to be closed, prompting widespread concerns the town will be effectively cut in half.

Residents, backed by Mid Dorset and North Poole MP Annette Brooke, say the closure will hit the elderly, disabled and youngsters the hardest – forcing them onto busy roads or over a steep footbridge.

However, rail bosses say the crossing at the town’s railway station is one of the worst in the UK, with more than 80 recorded incidents of misuse in the past four years.

At last night’s meeting, organised by Wareham Town Council, at the Purbeck School, Rob Simmons of Network Rail said if nothing was done, then “a serious injury is inevitable”.

“I don’t sleep well at night whenever I think about this crossing,” he said.

Mrs Brooke said: “It’s unsafe as it is.” But she said residents needed to be heard before any decision was made.

Dorset County Council’s traffic manager, Tim Westwood, also addressed the meeting.

Up to 1,000 residents use the crossing daily, as it provides a lifeline for housing estates in the north to shops, schools and services in the south.

Residents demanded all options be considered, including the installation of barriers connected to the rail signalling system.

But Network Rail has already recommended closure of the crossing and jointly supports, with the county council, the building of a new footbridge with wheelchair friendly ramps.

In the short-term, Dorset County Council wants to install electronic gates manned by security, but these will be locked every evening.

Earlier this week, transport minister, Chris Mole, said: “As well as safety, the final decision taken by Dorset County Council and Network Rail must also consider the impact of any closure on the local community.”

No final decision has been taken.

More Purbeck News