Network Rail unveil access plans for Wrexham station

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Network Rail press release:

Passengers from Wrexham station will soon benefit from a new footbridge, complete with a lift, making access between the station entrance, ticket office and platforms much easier for everyone, particularly people with reduced mobility.

The plan is unveiled today by Network Rail at a public exhibition to generate support for the improvements to be made. The ^1.6m improvement plan is part of the national ^Access for All^ scheme, backed by the Department for Transport, that aims to provide step-free access to around 145 stations in England, Wales and Scotland.

The new footbridge and lift at Platform 4 are also designed to provide passengers with a safe and secure environment, where they are well-lit and equipped with close-circuit televisions and telephones. The station platforms will also be refurbished with tactile paving.

Mark Langman, route director, Network Rail, said: ^Wales relies on rail so it^s vital that we provide facilities which make the railway easier to use, safer and more accessible for everyone. Whether you^re lugging heavy bags, have small children in tow or simply find the stairs a bit of a struggle, the improvements being to be made at Wrexham General will make a real difference to passengers. We know modern stations with easy access are important to passengers in Wales and we will continue work hard to achieve even more successes for them.^

Mike Bagshaw, Commercial Director for Arriva Trains Wales said: "The new footbridge and lift at Wrexham station will offer passengers step free access and will provide a step forward in meeting the needs of passengers with impaired mobility as well as those traveling to and from Wrexham with heavy luggage and small children. The creation of step free access is part of our wider plan to improve access to our trains and stations. As an organisation we will continue to work with our industry partners to improve the journey experience even further.^

Wrexham station was opened in 1846 and today, it serves more than half a million passengers on average each year. As the existing footbridge does not have step-free access, passengers with reduced mobility will have to get to and fro Platform 4 via a road bridge over the station, which this transfer takes around 10mins.

Access for All is UK^▸ (United Kingdom)-wide ^370m ring-fenced fund for station accessibility improvements under the Government^s ten-year ^Railways for All^ strategy. Network Rail is currently also working closely with Arriva Trains Wales, the Welsh Assembly Government, the Welsh European Funding Office and local transport authorities to improve railway stations in Wales. More than half of the stations in Wales are set to benefit from a total investment of around ^85m by 2014.