£250k up for grabs to make rail travel easier
A rail firm is calling on disabled and older people to help make its trains and stations easier to use – with £250,000 on offer to implement the best ideas.
Northern’s Accessibility Fund is aimed at empowering older and disabled people to make decisions which will improve the railway.
Voluntary organisations, community groups, charities and stakeholders, such as local authorities, can bid for grants of up to £50,000 from the fund to make accessibility improvements at stations in their area and make services available to anyone who may feel isolated or excluded.
The fund will be led by the independent Northern Accessibility User Group.
Mark Powles, commercial and customer director, at Northern said: “We are dedicated to making Northern’s services accessible to everyone, and to playing a role in improving the communities along our routes. We want to hear suggestions for how we can continue to do this.
“The Accessibility Fund will consider a wide range of proposals involving our trains and stations and will have a positive impact for the north.”
He added: “The fund is part of our wider project to transform our network, giving all our customers a rail service fit for the 21st Century.
For bids to be considered, the proposed project or scheme must be scheduled for completion between April 5, 2021, and September 30, 2022.
The winning bids will be selected by the Northern Accessibility User Group.
Applications can be submitted via the Northern website: www.northernrailway. co.uk/accessibility-fund
The first awards will be made in April.
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Darren Hawkins. Sent via email.
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