Starcross

[whole diary]

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

Last week Mrs GTBE and I spent a few days in Exmouth.  One day we took the ferry across to Starcross.  Not having dome this before, I was surprised to find that the only egress from the ferry pier is a fenced path running parallel and close to the DM.  The path leads to the platform ramp at the south need of the Down platform.  There is then a walk along the very narrow platform (for a main line) to the footbridge over to the Up platform and the station exit.

This quaint access to the pier, owned by the Starcross Pier and Ferry Company, is presumably protected by some ancient agreement which has survived through to NR^» (Network Rail - home page) and GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway). 

My concern is that up to 100 people, including excited children and cyclists, can come off the ferry at one time.  I did not see any signs warning people approaching the platform ramp that
•   trains passed at up to 50 mph (or is it more?)
•   they should stay behind the yellow line
•   cycling is not permitted on the platform (we saw 2 cyclist riding their bikes from the footbridge along the platform and down the ramp).

It seems to me that there is an accident waiting to happen here.  I hope someone somewhere has a Risk Assessment that stands up.

[froome]

I've used the ferry a couple of times crossing from Exmouth, with a bike, and have had similar concerns. The access from the ferry to the platform is narrow, and so is the platform itself, and the whole route from ferry to the station exit is long and involves carrying the bike over the footbridge. Some forms of advance warning of all this would certainly help. If I remember correctly, getting off the ferry at Starcross, if the tide is low, also involves a very steep climb up the ramp.