Station footbridge closure plan put on hold

A move to close off platform access from a bridge at Nottingham railway station has been postponed.

East Midlands Trains (EMR) said a rise in revenue during a three-week trial in November showed ticketless travel via the footbridge could be equivalent to as much as £1.1m a year.

Last week it announced the closure would be reinstated from 22 February but would be kept under review.

Now, EMR has shelved the change, stating it needed extra time to "engage further with the relevant stakeholders".

The company said the closure also brought "significant safety and security benefits" and increased customer satisfaction due to enhanced staffing elsewhere.

An EMR spokesperson said money lost through ticketless travel "belongs to the taxpayer" and is "vital for the railway to operate successfully, improve, and secure investment".

The spokesperson added: "The last closure also highlighted significant safety and security benefits, including three direct interventions to support suicidal individuals.

"We recognise the importance of ensuring that our proposals effectively consider those impacted by this change.

"To support this, we will not be closing access to the footbridge on 22 February, and instead, will be taking additional time to engage further with the relevant stakeholders."

It was also confirmed there was currently no date for any new closure to be brought in.

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