Michael was very pleased to meet with Huw Merriman, the Minister of State with responsibilities for railways, at a recent visit to Wareham station. He was joined by Richard Drax MP, and Cllr Carol Turner, Mayor of Wareham.
Michael lobbied the Minister about the ongoing issues at the level crossing and was pleased to have the opportunity to clearly state the need to get this matter resolved. The Minister was updated about the survey that Michael conducted earlier this year which received over 1,200 responses. The survey revealed that a huge majority of respondents remain concerned about the future of the level crossing. Many people also backed Michael's campaign for a full feasibility study into automated gates to ensure safety and access across the crossing. This request was made to Network Rail and this was agreed to, however the results of the study are still awaited.
Michael said
"The visit showed the Minister just how seriously the community is taking this issue and that it will not go away until a suitable solution is found. I was hugely grateful for the time given by the Minister. He was very understanding of the issues we face in finding a long term way forward. He understood the need to make progress so that this issue doesn’t drift on endlessly. I appreciate that this appears to be making slow progress but I will continue to push wherever possible and with the continued support from the local community, I remain confident that a good outcome can be achieved."
Following the meeting, Michael has written to Network Rail urging them to complete and release their feasibility study. No other options should be considered until the issues around automated gates are resolved. This appears to be possible elsewhere and we need to understand if this is possible at Wareham station.
