Alton Hampshire - Restoration of the historic Alton station footpath bridge is on the cusp of finally starting after persistence from a local lobbying group.
 
Friends of Alton Station (FAS) was formed in March 2014 and has been lobbying for the repair of the Alton Station footbridge ever since.
 
FAS was established by local community members in response to original plans to take down the footbridge and preserve it elsewhere following the construction of a new £1.7 million footbridge back in 2013.
 
Stephen Lewis, Chairman of FAS, told Eagle:  "People in Alton thought that we should keep the bridge so we set off as a steering group and we negotiated with network rail."
 
Following negotiations, it was agreed that it would remain there but a couple of Network Rail visual reports revealed extensive damage to the structure.
 
Consequently the footbridge was closed in August 2015 following the findings of the second report.

Friends of Alton Station are now awaiting the results of a third, and hopefully, final report from contractors Osborne before work should get under way.
 
Mr. Lewis said:  "It's a slow process, you've got to be persistent and patient and its nice to be able to say that something is happening but its unfortunate that I can't say when. Alton Station is important to Alton and we must make sure that we keep it going".
 
The contractors, Osborne, did confirm that they were going to be repairing the footbridge in the future as part of Network Rail's "Access for All" scheme.
 
Adam Szeremeta, Osborne Assistant Site Manager said:  "The bridge at Alton Station is much loved by the community and we've made every effort to deliver the project using the latest renovation methods, ensuring the character and charm of this historic Hampshire Station."
 
The bridge itself is famous for being the only known Victorian wooden bridge in the region.
 
Alton Station itself is part of the Mid-Hants Railway or Watercress Line, a heritage steam railway that runs between Alresford and Alton.
 
Mr. Lewis told Eagle, "For those that come to visit the Watercress line, it is a historic bridge which fits in with the character of the station."
 
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