Issue 22/3/17

WHO WE ARE MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION £5 per person annual subscription Friends of Alton Station is an unincorporated renewing on 1st January membership association, operating as a not NAME(S): for profit partnership of residents, railway users, local organisations, railway companies ADDRESS: LTON A S and local authorities. F T

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Although it is the retention and preservation SAVE OUR O BRIDGE D

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a broader ambition. Our goal is to work E-MAIL: F together with our partner organisations to preserve the fabric of the station, to make PHONE: improvements and to ensure the station area looks attractive to regular users and visitors. MOBILE: JOIN TODAY! PAYMENT: £ As a member you’ll be kept informed, have a DATE: forum to put forward your views and ideas, Cheques payable to: Friends of Alton Station and have opportunities to help with tasks Online Payments: Acct: 19709768 / Sort: 30-10-47 and opportunities that are beyond the remit Cash: Please hand-deliver of the railway companies. AGE GROUP YOUR INTERESTS (Please tick): (tick all that apply): To join, there is a membership form on the back of this leaflet or see our website. [ ] 0-16 [ ] Commuter / Regular rail user CONTACT DETAILS [ ] 17-25 [ ] Infrequent rail user [ ] 26-35 [ ] Interested in history of bridge/station E-mail: [email protected] [ ] 36-49 [ ] Resident of Alton Tel: 01420 544881 (Chamber of Commerce) Web: www.friendsofaltonstation.org.uk [ ] 50-69 [ ] Visitor to Alton / station Friends of Alton Station, [ ] 70+ [ ] Other c/o Alton Community Centre, Return Address Helping to keep Alton’s Railway Station Amery Street, Alton, Hants. GU34 1HN Friends of Alton Station, st c/o Alton Community Centre, Amery St, Alton. GU34 1HN fit for purpose in the 21 Century Alton Station for Transport Alton Station for Heritage Alton Station for Tourism

Alton Station is our town's key public Friends of Alton Station (FAS) was set up The Mid-Hants Railway, known to most transport link to London and the national primarily to save and restore the heritage people as The , is a major railway network, as well as buses and taxis. timber footbridge for posterity. tourist attraction. People come to visit from Despite the welcome provision of the new The bridge was installed in 1892 by the far and wide, in the process making a accessible footbridge in 2013, the original London and South Western Railway. Initially significant contribution to the local economy. continues to be required. Many train users it was open to the air and had lattice-work The heritage footbridge is an integral part are keen to see the bridge retained because sides, but in 1894 the ladies of Alton of Alton's Victorian station which, for many it offers a covered route through the station. successfully lobbied to have it roofed and people, is the gateway to our historic market The Users' Association (ALUA) boarded, and later glazed. It is the only town. The ambience of the station is already represents passengers, so we focus surviving example of its kind. something we need to cherish and develop, upon the station facilities, upkeep and Although the bridge has aged well, it needs working with all the stakeholders. development and its surroundings. We’ll do repair and restoration. have Since relaying the tracks to Alton in 1985, this through lobbying and working in said that they plan to demolish the the Mid-Hants Railway has built a toilet partnership with the relevant bodies. footbridge in April 2018. The challenge now block, ticket office, signal box and installed We work with Network Rail and South is for FAS to form as a CIO charity, take colour light signalling at Alton station. We West Trains and other local organisations ownership and raise the required funds to can lend our support to the upkeep of the including the Alton Society. restore it to museum standards. We need station and encourage future projects to your help to make this happen improve their facilities.