Bridgnorth Cliff Railway driver speaks of struggles over closure as wall saga continues
A driver made redundant when Bridgnorth Cliff Railway was forced to shut due to health and safety fears, has spoken of the effect the closure has had on his mental wellbeing.
Peter Bridger, 77, has spent the last seven years ferrying passengers from Low Town to High Town on the funicular railway.
In December, when the railway was closed by Bridgnorth Town Council following the discovery of a serious fault in a retaining wall, Peter was one of 14 out of 16 staff members made redundant.
The town council is currently investigating its "substantive position" as to how much liability the authority has for fixing the retaining wall, which has led to accusations from Cliff Railway boss, Malvern Tipping, that it is trying to "wriggle out" of its responsibilities.
Mr Bridger has urged the council to speed up the process so that the wall can be repaired and he and his colleagues can get back to work.
He said: "The council came and closed the railway on December 21 at 12 o'clock and since that time, nothing has happened. It is absolutely devastating.
"I retired when I was 70 after working in the markets for decades and moved to Bridgnorth. For the last seven years I have been working on the railway and it has been absolutely fabulous. We all love it.
"While we do get paid, it is only the minimum wage, but none of us do it for the money. We all love it. It is like being part of a club."
Mr Bridger, says he has taken it upon himself to contact the Land Registry in a bid to work out who is ultimately responsible for getting the retaining wall fixed, in the hope it will speed up the process of getting it repaired.
"The closure has affected my mental wellbeing. It is driving us mad not being at work. It has to be sorted," he said.
"And it is not just affecting our health and wellbeing, it is affecting the health and wellbeing of the town.
"It has gone on too long. Many visitors to Bridgnorth only come because of the Cliff Railway. Think of all the money we are losing at half term. It is already affecting business in the town.
"Over the years, I have driven thousands of people up the Cliff Railway, and I'm always amazed by how many visitors we get from abroad. I've had South Africans, Australians and people from Sweden, not to mention all the local people going from Low Town to High Town.
"The Cliff Railway is the glue that holds the town together."
Clare Turner, the town clerk at Bridgnorth Town Council, who only took over the post in December, just before the damage to the wall was discovered, said the council was still working out its "substantive position" and was waiting on a report from engineers.
"We are waiting for schedule of works on the wall and are in contact on a daily basis. Safety is the council's first priority," she said.
Councillors are expected to be given a verbal update on progress of the Cliff Railway issue at the next Bridgnorth Town Council meeting on Tuesday, February 21, although press and public are likely to be excluded.
