All change as station upgrade approved
PLANS to provide vital disabled access for rail passengers at Hillside station have taken a step closer after the plans were officially approved by Sefton Council.
Southport Conservative MP Damien Moore, who has lobbied hard in recent months for the station to become accessible for all, has welcomed the news.
Sefton has now officially approved a planning application by Network Rail for the installation of lifts, new staircases and associated works to improve access to both platforms at Hillside station on Waterloo Road.
Mr Moore successfully lobbied the Government for Hillside to receive funding for the scheme through the sixth round of the Department for Transport’s £300m Access for All programme. The funding was confirmed in April last year.
Nusrat Ghani, who was Transport Minister at the time, said: “Everyone should be able to access our rail network and I am pleased to announce that Hillside will now become a fully accessible station in the next stage of the programme.
“Damien Moore MP has been campaigning to make Hillside step-free so it is safer for all passengers, especially those with restricted mobility or parents with pushchairs and I’m delighted to be able to announce that their hard campaigning work has again paid off for the people of Southport.”
The platforms at Hillside, which take passengers via the Northern Line to either Southport or Liverpool, are currently only accessible via steep concrete steps on either side of the station.
Mr Moore said: “I am delighted to see that the proposals to make Hillside station in Southport accessible for people are now becoming a reality and that building work can finally begin.
“I would like to thank the Government for agreeing to fund this important scheme and Network Rail for progressing the plans.
“For too long, Hillside station has been inaccessible for people in wheelchairs, parents with prams or pushchairs, those who are elderly, and people with disabilities of all kinds.
“Hillside station is a gateway for local schools including Greenbank High and Birkdale High, hundreds of local families, local golf courses, and the hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world who visit this area for major events including The Open golf championship.
“An inaccessible railway station is a poor advert for Southport.
“I am now determined to campaign for improved rail facilities at other stations in Southport.”
Southport Dukes Ward councillor Sir Ron Watson was also behind the campaign for improved access.
He said: “I was very pleased to cooperate again with our MP, Damien Moore, who has been instrumental in progressing what is a very important new facility for the disabled, and the fact that we were able to access additional funding following on from the initial representation that I made shows that if you put forward a good case on a practical and pragmatic basis you often have some success.
“I hope that the work to be undertaken, which is actually quite significant, will be done in the quickest possible timescale possible.”
Southport Conservative activist Michael Prendergast said: “Our local MP, Damien Moore and Dukes ward councillor, Sir Ron Watson CBE, have worked hard to secure the funding for this important piece of infrastructure that will help improve the lives of many people.
“As a prospective council candidate for Dukes Ward in the local elections in May, the issue of disability access is crucial for our ward to ensure that all residents have access to the services they need.”