In News

The Department for Transport (DfT) also confirmed the announcement made in last July’s Inclusive Transport Strategy that it would spend £300 million on improvements such as lifts and footbridges between 2019-20 and the end of March 2024. Each of the 73 stations will see “an accessible route into the station, as well as to and between every platform”, subject to a “feasible design being possible”. 

The stations were selected following nominations from the rail industry, and based on criteria including the number of disabled people in the area, value for money, and proximity to a hospital. They were also chosen to represent a “fair geographical spread” across England, Scotland and Wales, with the preferences of train operating companies taken into account.

Access for All work is already ongoing at another 24 stations.

The stations listed are:

  • Abergavenny
  • Anniesland
  • Beaconsfield Station
  • Biggleswade
  • Birkenhead Park
  • Bridlington
  • Broad Green
  • Caerphilly
  • Catford
  • Chalkwell
  • Chorley
  • Cricklewood
  • Crowborough
  • Croy
  • Cwmbran
  • Daisy Hill
  • Dumfries
  • Flint
  • Hackney Downs
  • Handforth
  • Herne Bay
  • Hertford North
  • Hillside
  • Hunt’s Cross
  • Irlam
  • Isleworth
  • Johnstone
  • Kings Langley
  • Leatherhead
  • Ludlow
  • Menston
  • Mill Hill Broadway
  • Port Glasgow
  • Retford
  • Selby
  • Shotton
  • Smethwick Rolfe Street
  • St Erth
  • St Michaels
  • Stoneleigh
  • Stowmarket
  • Tenby
  • Todmorden
  • Uddingston
  • Wandsworth Town
  • Wellington

The stations deferred from Control Period 5, which will now be progressed are:

  • Alfreton (Parkway)
  • Barnes
  • Barry (Town)
  • Battersea Park
  • Cathays
  • Chatham
  • Garforth
  • Grays
  • Hither Green
  • Liverpool Central
  • Llanelli
  • Luton
  • Market Harborough
  • Northallerton
  • Peckham Rye
  • Petts Wood
  • Queen’s Park
  • Seven Sisters
  • Southend East
  • St Mary Cray
  • Streatham
  • Theale
  • Trefforest
  • Walton-on-Thames
  • Warwick
  • Weston-Super-Mare
  • Worcester Shrub Hill

All work at the stations is due to be completed by the end of March 2024.

In addition to the major work at the 73 stations, £20 million of the funding will be used to re-launch the Mid-Tier Access for All programme, which will focus on stations where access improvements can be delivered for between £250,000 and £1 million.

DfT will seek nominations for which stations should receive this funding.

According to reporters, official documents revealed last summer that the government had repeatedly ignored concerns raised by its own accessible transport advisers, the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC), about the “toxic” impact on disabled people of running trains without a member of customer service staff on board. So it is with some relief that work is being done to improve this. 

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