'New Forest livestock in danger' from faulty gate at Beaulieu Road train station

LIVESTOCK are in danger of wandering onto live rails at Beaulieu Road train station because of repeated failures to fix a broken gate, a commuter has warned.

Despite repeated complaints to track maintenance organisation Network Rail, there has been no permanent solution to tackle the danger of a serious accident, East Boldre resident Jo Holmes told the A&T.

The latest breakage has lasted about three weeks and a piece of electric flex was currently all that was holding it shut, she said.

Jo, who takes the train every day to work in Southampton, said: “There is nothing to stop the animals and no one from Network Rail has taken any action at all.

“It’s a matter of time that the gate will be open and some animals will walk onto the platform and onto the rails.

“The spring is broken so it does not shut behind you. People unfamiliar with the animals on the Forest walk through and just leave it.”

Jo has witnessed the problem repeatedly over the three years she has commuted from Beaulieu Road, as well as maintenance issues with another gate at the top of steps leading from the B3056.

The issue has been taken up by the verderers too who reported it to Network Rail via its emergency phone number.

Verderers clerk Sue Westwood said: “The gate being left open is an extremely serious issue as it allows Forest stock – ponies, cattle and donkeys – to access the platform and potentially the railway line itself.”

She added: “At one point the gate was chained and padlocked shut. We don’t know who by. That would have meant disabled passengers had no means of getting on and off the platform.”

South Western Railway said it was not accountable for the gate which came under Network Rail’s responsibility as the station landowner.

A Network Rail spokesperson said: “We recognise this gate needs replacing and we will be installing a new self-closing gate before Christmas.

“We are satisfied the temporary measure we have in place to secure the existing gate will keep the railway safe until then.”