COMMUNITY group Friends of Alton Station is urging anyone keen to preserve the town’s Victorian heritage to sign an e-petition started to save its railway footbridge as it bids to raise funds to save it.

Alton station’s wooden footbridge was installed in 1892 by the London and South Western Railway and is the sole surviving example of a wooden railway footbridge in the UK. It has lasted well, but now needs repair and restoration.

The bridge is regarded as important because: it is part of the atmosphere for those visiting the Mid-Hants Railway (Watercress Line); it is a second means for passengers travelling to London to cross the line (undercover); and it is part of Alton’s architectural heritage.

A new footbridge with lifts was built by Network Rail in 2013 and the old bridge was due for removal. A group of residents formed Friends of Alton Station, initially as a steering group in 2014, then as a membership organisation in 2015. During that time Friends of Alton Station has been patiently negotiating with Network Rail to save the bridge.

A statement from friends chairman Stephen Lewis, who started the e-petition says: “After a number of surveys, and the closure of the bridge to the public, Network Rail have decided that they are not able to spend money restoring the bridge. However, they are willing to offer their budgeted removal costs of £250,000 to the pot if we are able to find other funding. They have given us an ultimatum to find likely sources of external funding, possibly as much as £500,000, before the end of December 2016. Therefore, there is a new urgency to take action.

“We are asking you to sign this petition to show your support. Apart from joining FAS as an additional way of showing your support, we are not asking you for any kind of financial input. However, if you know of people or funding bodies who could help our cause, we would be very glad to hear from you.”

For more details, visit friendsofaltonstation.org.uk. To sign the petition, visit change.org/p/network-rail-save-the-heritage-footbridge-at-alton-station-in-hampshire.