Access For All - 50 more stations

[whole diary]

[ChrisB]

Government snuck out a list of 50 more stations that will go through initial feasibility work and if qualifying, work on access will follow.

All list here but quoted in case the page disappears

The Access for All (AfA) programme was launched in 2006 to address the issues faced by disabled passengers and passengers facing mobility restraints when using railway stations in England, Scotland or Wales.

As part of our latest round of nominations for the AfA programme, a total of 310 nominations were received from Network Rail, train operating companies (TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company)) and other strategic transport organisations such as combined authorities. 

The nominations were assessed against the following criteria:

    annual footfall – targeting busier stations gives better value for money and benefits the most disabled passengers, ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) footfall figures were weighted by the incidence of disability in the area using 2011 Census data
 
  rail industry priorities – TOCs were asked to consult with MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament), disability groups and local authorities, to ensure stakeholders’ support, before ranking their nominations

    availability of third-party funding – this helps to weight business cases but also demonstrates a commitment to the project by third parties

    local factors – this could include proximity to a hospital or a station with a high proportion of interchange passengers

    geographical location – the weighted footfall was compared against others nominated by the same TOC and against those within the same region rather than nationally to ensure a fair geographical spread across the country and to create more accessible entry points onto the network

    confirmed support of the local MP

We are pleased to announce that ministers have agreed the list of 50 additional stations selected for initial feasibility work and if that is successful, will be taken forward as part of the AfA programme. This is in addition to stations already in the AfA programme or having accessibility improvements funded by other means.

The £350 million to fund even more station projects was confirmed when HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) funding was reallocated.

The first stations to benefit from the additional funding are listed below.

Station    Region or country    Nominator    TOC
Aigburth    North West    Merseytravel LCRCA    Merseyrail
Ash Vale    South East    SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) - Wessex    SWR

Battle    South East    Southeastern    Southeastern
Bellgrove    Scotland    Transport Scotland    ScotRail
Bodmin Parkway    South West    GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)    Great Western Railway
Bredbury    North West    TfGM^▸ (Transport for Greater Manchester. )    Northern
Bushey    London    NR^» (Network Rail - home page) West Coast South    London Overground

Castle Cary    South West    GWR    Great Western Railway
Chinley    East Midlands    Northern Derbyshire    Northern
Church and Oswaldtwistle    North West    Northern    Northern
Colchester    East    Greater Anglia    Greater Anglia

Dalston Kingsland    London    TfL^» (Transport for London - about)    London Overground
Dorchester South    South West    SWR - Wessex    SWR
Dudley Port    West Midlands    West Midlands Trains    West Midlands Railway
Dumbarton Central    Scotland    Transport Scotland    ScotRail

Esher    South East    SWR - Wessex    SWR

Falkirk Grahamston    Scotland    Transport Scotland    ScotRail
Flowery Field    North West    TfGM    Northern

Gunnersbury    London    TfL    TfL

Hedge End    South East    SWR - Wessex    SWR
High Brooms    South East    Southeastern    Southeastern

Inverurie    Scotland    Transport Scotland    ScotRail

Kew Bridge    London    SWR - Wessex    SWR
Kidbrooke    London    Southeastern    Southeastern

Leagrave    East    Thameslink    Thameslink
Ledbury    West Midlands    West Midlands Trains    West Midlands Railway
Marden    South East    Southeastern    Southeastern
Maidstone West    South East    Southeastern    Southeastern

Neath    Wales    Transport for Wales    Transport for Wales
Newton for Hyde    North West    TfGM    Northern

Port Sunlight    North West    Merseytravel LCRCA    Merseyrail

Raynes Park    London    SWR - Wessex    SWR
Rock Ferry    North West    Merseytravel LCRCA    Merseyrail
Ruabon    Wales    Transport for Wales    Transport for Wales

Sileby    East Midlands    EMR^» (East Midlands Railway, also known as EMT^» (East Midlands Trains - about) (East Midlands Trains) - about)    East Midlands Railway
Shotton    Wales    Transport for Wales    Transport for Wales
Sleaford    East Midlands    EMR    East Midlands Railway
Small Heath    West Midlands    West Midlands Trains    West Midlands Railway
South Croydon    London    Southern    Southern
Stamford    East Midlands    EMR    East Midlands Railway
Stroud    South West    GWR    Great Western Railway
Swanwick    South East    SWR - Wessex    SWR

Thirsk    Yorkshire & Humber    TPE^▸ (Trans Pennine Express)    TPE

Ulverston    North West    Northern Cumbria    Northern
Upminster    London    c2c    c2c

Walton    North West    Merseytravel LCRCA    Merseyrail
Whitchurch (Shropshire)    West Midlands    Transport for Wales    Transport for Wales
Wivelsfield    South East    Southern    Southern
Wymondham    East    Greater Anglia    Greater Anglia

Yeovil Junction    South West    SWR - Wessex    SWR

[grahame]

Selecting from that list - GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) stations are
Castle Cary
Bodmin Parkway
Stroud

As far as I can see, only other stations serve by GWR (but not managed by them) on the list are Neath and Ledbury.  "Nearest" others are Yeovil Junction and Dorchester South.

These are additional stations - "50 more".   Where can I read the original list to which these have been added??

[grahame]

From the Shropshire Star

Helen Morgan in North Shropshire has welcomed funding finally being granted for lifts to be installed at Whitchurch Station while Simon Baynes across the border in Clwyd South is hailing money for improvements at Ruabon, near Chirk.

The money came as the Government finished off its business before the weekend.

[froome]

Access for All, in my experience, tends to often mean very long ramps being installed, which while they obviously do give access to wheelchair users, also discriminate against those who can walk but have very slow mobility, such as those with heavy luggage or some very elderly. One example of this is Cam & Dursley, where everyone has a long walk up and down the ramp to exit the station while being exposed to the elements. So I hope this version of Access for All does lead to more installation of lifts and where that isn't possible, covering ramps to keep the worst of the weather out, and also installing steps for those who are mobile as an addition to the ramp.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Access for All, in my experience, tends to often mean very long ramps being installed ...

... which is why Nailsea & Backwell won't ever feature on any such list.  There physically isn't anywhere to build a 'very long ramp' up to platform 1, and the alternative of a lift would cost getting on for a seven figure sum.  The cost / benefit ratio doesn't stand a chance. 

[Red Squirrel]

Access for All, in my experience, tends to often mean very long ramps being installed ...

... which is why Nailsea & Backwell won't ever feature on any such list.  There physically isn't anywhere to build a 'very long ramp' up to platform 1, and the alternative of a lift would cost getting on for a seven figure sum.  The cost / benefit ratio doesn't stand a chance. 

No long ramps at Ashley Down...

[Chris from Nailsea]

Access for All, in my experience, tends to often mean very long ramps being installed ...

... which is why Nailsea & Backwell won't ever feature on any such list.  There physically isn't anywhere to build a 'very long ramp' up to platform 1, and the alternative of a lift would cost getting on for a seven figure sum.  The cost / benefit ratio doesn't stand a chance. 

No long ramps at Ashley Down...

You are fortunate there. 

At Nailsea & Backwell, we are constrained by the elevation of our station on a rather crumbly Victorian-built hard-core embankment, sloping away fairly steeply on each side.  It's perfectly safe and sound - provided you don't fiddle about with it.   When Network Rail do any vegetation work here, they are rightly very cautious about climbing up the slopes.

The only way to provide disabled access Platform 1 here would either be to build a very long ramp (and there is nowhere to put that) or a lift.  If you were going to put in a lift to Platform 1, it would make sense to also put in a lift to Platform 2, with a connecting footbridge (like what they did at Chippenham (eventually), for example  ) partly because even our 'very long ramp' up to Platform 2 isn't ideal.

That has all been costed at around £1,000,000 - so that won't be happening.  It's frustrating, but we must accept financial reality. 

[grahame]

As far as I can see, only other stations serve by GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) (but not managed by them) on the list are Neath and Ledbury. 

Hedge End also listed - 2 GWR trains a day go through there - do they call?

[bobm]

The whole issue of lifts is a thorny one.  Apart from the cost of installing them, the ongoing maintenance can be a challenge.

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) are finding some of them, although relatively recent, are obsolete and getting replacement parts is proving difficult.

[grahame]

That has all been costed at around £1,000,000 - so that won't be happening.  It's frustrating, but we must accept financial reality. 

Indeed - though the other argument I've heard advanced is that if we can't d*mned well pay for access for all on something, we should implement equality in other ways - be it by removing toilets from trains, bus routes that can't afford an accessible vehicle, or stations from the network.

[Red Squirrel]

That has all been costed at around £1,000,000 - so that won't be happening.  It's frustrating, but we must accept financial reality. 

Indeed - though the other argument I've heard advanced is that if we can't d*mned well pay for access for all on something, we should implement equality in other ways - be it by removing toilets from trains, bus routes that can't afford an accessible vehicle, or stations from the network.

Not sure I quite agree with grahame's 'levelling down' agenda!

Nailsea & Backwell is one of the busier stations in the region, with similar passenger numbers to Bridgwater. 'Financial reality' is all about priorities. Nailsea & Backwell should be a priority.