The first of a new footbridge design has opened at Garforth railway station in West Yorkshire.
Amco Giffen began work on the £6m Garforth station footbridge project in May 2023. The new deck was lifted into place in April 2024 and the bridge has opened to the public at the end of July.
Passenger lifts – a key feature of the new bridge since it funded by the government’s Access for All scheme – will not be ready until later in the autumn.
The bridge design is called the Beacon, due to the design of its two lift shafts. The generic design, by Haskoll and Davies Maguire, is featured in Network Rail’s Footbridges & Subways Design Manual, first published in 2020, along with the Ribbon and the Frame for footbridges in station settings. A fourth design option, the AVA, was added to the manual's second edition this year.
A security feature of the Beacon bridge is toughened glass side panels so that users can see if other people are also using the bridge or staircases, to check that they feel safe to cross.
Garforth station’s previous Grade II listed bridge has been relocated to the Bredgar & Wormshill Light Railway in Kent.)
Anna Weeks, principal programme sponsor for Network Rail’s North and East route, said: “Completing the installation of the first Beacon bridge is a significant achievement in the project and we are now one step closer to making Garforth station fully accessible for passengers.
“We are committed to providing a station which makes travelling easier for everyone, and we would like to thank passengers and residents for their continued patience and understanding as we head towards the culmination of the project.”
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