Arncliffe pedestrian bridge barriers protect trains but not pedestrians
New safety barriers on a Sydney footbridge may protect trains from oncoming cars, but there are concerns they offer ‘no protections for the school kids and their carers who use this footpath’.
St George Shire Standard
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Baffling safety upgrades at a high-traffic pedestrian footbridge near two primary schools in Sydney’s south protect trains from out-of-control oncoming cars, but not people on foot.
In August residents received a letter from Sydney Trains saying “anti-throw screens, crash barriers and pedestrian footpaths” would be installed to improve safety on the Forest Rd pedestrian bridge near Arncliffe station.
However, residents and commuters were flummoxed when new safety barriers popped up flush against the train line, protecting trains on the line below from oncoming traffic, but not pedestrians.
A Sydney Trains spokesman confirmed the new safety measures only stop cars and debris from falling onto the train line.
“Recent work completed on the Forest Road overpass is an interim measure designed to protect the bridge structure from any collision and reduce the risk of debris falling on to the rail corridor,” the spokesman said.
“Sydney Trains is working with Bayside Council on developing the permanent design.”
Children and carers from Arncliffe Public School and St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School often walk to and from school via the narrow pedestrian bridge.
Local resident Germana Eckert described the measures as a “huge fail”.
“The bollards have been put along the brick wall, seemingly to protect the trains from out of control cars crashing through the wall onto the train tracks below,” Ms Eckert said.
“Yet again there are no protections for the school kids and their carers who use this footpath daily – when the designers came up with their plans did they even come out and look at the users of the bridge?”
Wendi Aylward said it looked like the bollards had been put in the wrong spot.
“Given the proximity to two schools, you’d think they would have approached the schools with their plans,” she added.
Andrea Ruhl said the “idiotic” design could be nominated for the Darwin Awards.
“It fails to position the bollards to consider the number of school kids walking along that footpath,” Ms Ruhl said.
“I know that this railway bridge is on a heritage register, but they could have positioned the bollards in a way that protects pedestrians as well as the brickwork.”
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Story? Email eliza.barr@news.com.au.