Posted 27th February 2020 | 2 Comments

More accessible stations planned with £20m fund

ANOTHER 124 stations are set to become more accessible, after the Department for Transport confirmed funding of £20 million to pay for upgrades.

The fund is part of a £300 million commitment which was announced in principle by the DfT in 2019.

The stations on the latest list will be gaining accessible footbridges equipped with lifts, accessible toilets and better information screens.

The improvements are being made as part of the Access for All programme, which was launched in 2006. Since then, this programme has made 200 stations step-free and provided smaller scale accessibility improvements at more than 1,500 others.

The announcement came as the government launched a campaign called ‘it’s everyone’s journey’ to make public transport easier to use.

The campaign is being supported by more than 100 partners, including FirstGroup, WHSmith Travel and the Alzheimer’s Society. The intention of the campaign is to raise awareness about the needs of disabled people on public transport, particularly people whose disabilities are not obvious. It is also designed to prompt other passengers to think and consider how their behaviour might affect disabled travellers.

Transport secretary Grant Shapps said: ‘The ability to travel easily from A to B is an essential factor for our day to day lives – but is not the reality for everyone.

‘I recognise that we have much more to do, which is why we’re making 124 stations more accessible – a key part of levelling-up access for disabled people to transport and opening up opportunities for all.

‘This is just the start of a much more ambitious agenda. My goal is to go much further in the years ahead to help ensure that our country’s transport system becomes one of the most accessible in the world.’

Reader Comments:

Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews.

  • DR ANOOP SHAH, Harrow

    What about accessible trains? Stadler's new low-floor trains for Greater Anglia have retractable step plates that bridge the gap between the train and the platform. They allow wheelchair users to board the train from standard height (915mm) platforms without the need for assistance or external ramps.

    Since this technology exists why is it not mandatory on all new trains (at least for the carriages with wheelchair spaces?). Perhaps existing trains can be retrofitted by swapping one carriage for a new low floor carriage, and using the spare carriages to increase the size of the fleet.

    There is, however, a problem of two incompatible standards. Heathrow Express and some Crossrail, Thameslink and Overground platforms have 1100mm high platforms or sections, allowing step free access onto trains with a standard floor height of 1100mm. Perhaps some platforms will have to have two levels - a central 1100mm section for the wheelchair section of existing trains and 915mm elsewhere for the new low floor carriages.

  • J Hutton, Oxford

    This is very commendable but what is the situation for accessibility at the busiest stations in the UK? Looking at the situation for access from the Underground to London terminals, accessibility seems to be exception.