RAIL operators and politicians have held talks about creating a new pedestrian and cycle bridge over the River Ouse in York.

One idea is for a bridge to be built from the end of platform four at York Railway Station to the far side of the river near Museum Gardens, where it would provide access to the city’s proposed Cultural Quarter.

Council transport boss Steve Galloway said today that a new bridge was part of the proposed York Central redevelopment of land behind the station.

“There is a recognised need for a more attractive introduction to the site than the ‘Marble Arch’ (tunnel in Leeman Road),” he said.

“It’s several years away, and what will happen next is that we are expecting developers for York Central to be appointed and for them to start working into the development a bridge into the site.

“I would be surprised and disappointed if the design they come up with doesn’t include a pedestrian/cycle bridge over the Ouse.”

He said such a bridge would replace the poor quality pedestrian bridge that currently runs alongside Scarborough railway bridge.

Coun Dave Taylor, who chairs the cultural committee, claimed that rail operator National Express East Coast (NXEC) was itself jeopardising the wider aims of the quarter with its plans to install automated ticket-barriers at the station.

He said these would close up the area, instead of making it more open, in line with the Cultural Quarter plans to make public spaces more accessible.

“The actions of NXEC, in proposing to gate the railway station, appear to be diametrically opposed to one of the chief aims of the ‘cultural quarter’ vision for York,” he said.

An NXEC spokesman said its representatives recently met members of the council’s cultural quarter ad hoc scrutiny committee He said: “We appreciated this opportunity to discuss our plans for the development of York station, along with the committee’s vision and ideas for the council’s proposed Cultural Quarter.

“While we understand the building of a new bridge that would improve access to the proposed Cultural Quarter remains a long-term aspiration or idea, should the council wish to take this further, we would be happy to discuss this with them in more detail, along with other partners, including Network Rail.”

Council planning officials say they are now not likely to decide the ticket barriers application until March 19, having previously earmarked February 12 as decision day.