British Transport Police Surveillance at Gray Street Level Crossing

Earlier today British Transport Police were monitoring motorists and pedestrians at the Gray Street level crossing in the Ferry. They were using their mobile facility, which has CCTV and can record motorists and pedestrians who foolishly try to beat the lights and barriers when a train is approaching. Folk who are caught on camera are usually referred to the Procurator Fiscal.


I am glad British Transport Police are back in The Ferry because, when they visited in August they found many folk ignoring the warning lights. Of course an additional reason for their visit is to monitor movements at the level crossing while the pedestrian underpass is closed. I hope motorists learned their lesson the last time the Transport Police were handing out their fixed penalties!

Welcome Delay to Temporary Closure of Pedestrian Underpass on Gray Street

Pedestrian Underpass Temporary Closure Delayed

Late this afternoon, I was informed that Network Rail have agreed to delay the building works that require the pedestrian underpass on Gray Street to be closed for eighteen days from Monday 6 December. 


I welcome the postponement of this work until 9 January 2012. In the meantime Network Rail will carry out building works within the station buildings.

Broughty Traders will I think be relieved that the temporary closure of the underpass has been postponed until after Christmas and New Year trading. 


Network Rail are to be congratulated in responding positively to representations about this issue. 

Developments at Broughty Ferry Station

I am pleased to see that work has started at our station in Broughty Ferry to convert the station house and platform buildings into a restaurant. It's good to see that there is now confidence by Scotrail to go ahead and undertake the conversion work which was granted planning permission some while ago. I hope this will help Scotrail find a restaurateur willing to take on the lease.

From Monday 5 December the pedestrian underpass will be closed until Christmas while work is undertaken near the level crossing to create a new access point to the down platform (trains to Dundee). 


This is very poor timing for traders in The Ferry. It's also a pity that while all this improvement work is going on that the smelly and grubby underpass is not being updated. I have written to the  Council's Head of Transportation to see whether a deep clean can be done before the underpass is reopened.  I would also hope we improve the 'walk the plank' experience along the suspended walkway just above the bottom of the tunnel which is prone to flooding. It's a bit of a Heath Robinson and would hardly pass current standards of health and safety. I think it would be much better if the suspended walkway covered the full width of the tunnel bottom.

While the the pedestrian underpass is closed, I hope pedestrians will be patient while they wait at the level crossing gates and no one ignores the warming lights flashing and the barriers beginning to fall. Most non stopping rains race through the Ferry at 80 mph.

Earlier in the Autumn, I wrote to the Scotrail Managing Director, Scott Montgomery, to request improvements to the information available about trains and the timetable to be on both the platforms. I can report some good and bad news. Firstly, the good news is that he has confirmed that: 

"we will arrange for a timetable to be displayed on both platforms at Broughty Ferry (this has been taken up with the local Manager at Dundee)" 

At the moment there is no train timetable displayed on the Up platform for trains towards Aberdeen. The bad news is that he also says that: 

"regrettably we have no plans at the present to install Customer Information Screens at this station. .... Although it is recognised that the station would benefit from these Screens, funding for station improvements is limited and we have to prioritise the stations."

I have also written to Steve Mongomery to find out where Broughty Ferry is on the Scotrail waiting list and to TACTRAN to urge they support this improvement.