Southport Pier – Reconstruction Works Ahead of Schedule
Excellent progress in preparing for the upcoming steelwork installation has been made, illustrated in several new aerial photographs which have since been widely-publicised. The most obvious sign of progress is the removal of the decking and life-expired steelwork in the middle section of the pier (beyond the Marine Lake but before the Marine Drive), and the erection of a scaffolding working platform beneath. Such photographs have naturally aroused vigorous online comment, with the usual stupidity amongst it, but broadly the impression has been of considerable excitement and anticipation. An estimated completion date was placed at mid-2028, but there is potential that this might be moved sooner if all works continue according to plan.
Congratulations again to Sefton Council for securing Southport Pier’s future! Their decision to close the Botanic Gardens’ Aviary has been rather more problematic, but that is for another time…
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Ramsey Queen’s Pier – Commencement of Phase 3 Reconstruction
The reconstruction of the Queen’s Pier has reached another significant threshold, with the end of the second phase having been reached. Of the three phases, the scope appears to be quite logarithmic: Phase One covered bays 1-3; Phase Two covered bays 4-10; and Phase Three is to cover bays 11-60. On the final formal opening Sunday of this year, the commencement of Phase 3 was formally initiated in a ceremony with Sir (his Excellency) and Lady Lorimer. As usual, donations received throughout the day were considerable and generously acknowledged.
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Southend Pier Trains – The S-Word (and pretty flowers)
The unpleasantness on Southend Pier’s railway continues with little sign of relief, with the electric trains laid up, useless and stupid, for while interminable investigations implemented to interpret the instigation of the infamous incident of October 2024 (a railway collision) intermingle with impatient interjections from public and politicians alike. With the two trains now apparently in an inoperative state for over 1200 days each (including down-time since their original opening, prior to the infamous incident), the situation can be understood to be rather more than the usual tolerable case of technical difficulties; instead the situation is quite exceptional. Southend City Council still wait for the forsenic investigations to be completed, but the latter process appears to be partly waiting on the Council making repairs, arranging health and safety measures and giving a schedule for the reopening of the service. In any case, no date for the train’s reinstatement has yet been confirmed; “safety measures” being one factor cited in preventing this being done.
Certainly the intentions of the Council are right, and the situation is undoubtedly a logistical challenge, but the publicly-evident output of this is a pier with newly-invested electric trains, languishing in a useless and stupid state for two years. I hope the situation is resolved soon, otherwise I should be tempted to bring out that most unpleasant of S-words: “Scandal”! Still, for all the frustration, that other S-word, “safety”, should always be allowed to prevail in the case of railways over the sea (or estuary)…
Meanwhile, a recent photograph on Southend Pier & Railway’s Facebook page shows several impressive arrays of flowers along the glazed barricades at the pier entrance, which are extremely pretty and lovely and nice. The best thing of all is that the photograph does not show the railway.
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Pretty Flowers