Closure of Newmarket footbridge upsets travellers, businesses

The main accessway to Newmarket rail station will be closed until 2009, so passengers will have to use this bridge to Remuera Road

Newmarket businesses are riled - and blind people confused - over the closure of the main access to their busy train station, despite what they say were assurances it would be kept open.

Government rail agency Ontrack and the Auckland Regional Transport Authority are closing from Saturday the pedestrian accessway, including a long footbridge, from Broadway to Newmarket Station.

They said this was for safety reasons, during construction of a large block of apartments on property which Ontrack's Railways Corporation parent body declared surplus to requirements before selling in 1993 to development company L and Y Holdings.

Rail passengers will have to walk an extra 400m or more to reach trains via Remuera Rd until a $40 million to $75 million redevelopment of Newmarket Station is complete in 2009.

But the organisations' justification for closing the accessway was challenged yesterday by the Newmarket Business Association and another rail agency, Auckland Regional Transport Network.

That agency, responsible until now for developing and managing rail stations and ferry terminals, is in the process of being taken over by the Auckland Regional Council and its transport authority subsidiary.

Network chief executive Kevin Brown, who is leaving the job next week as his organisation is wound up, was frustrated he was unable to honour a promise his staff gave the business association last year that access would be "maintained permanently".

"We would have fought tooth and nail to keep it open and not let the developer push us around - but it's out of our hands now," he told the Herald last night.

Mr Brown said a public right-of-way remained through what was now L and Y's land, and a temporary bridge should have been built to avoid inconveniencing rail patrons, including staff and members of the Foundation of the Blind.

He said Ontrack was unwilling to do that, claiming a temporary bridge would have obscured a train signal.

Ontrack spokeswoman Jenni Austin confirmed that the cost involved to "build one that avoided this issue was not warranted for a short-term solution".

Newmarket Business Association general manager Cameron Brewer said he feared the closure would discourage many potential patrons and inconvenience shoppers and workers who had already started catching trains.

Foundation of the Blind transport adviser Chris Orr said he and his members could cope with the inconvenience, if it ultimately meant a far more accessible station, but they were confused by mixed messages.

Ontrack told the foundation three months ago about wanting to close the footbridge, but three weeks ago told it the facility would stay open.

The foundation then hastily amended its quarterly newsletter, only to be told on Friday the footbridge would be closed after all.