Concern at ‘inaccessible’ rail stations

MORE THAN a quarter of railway stations in Yorkshire do not have step-free access, making them inaccessible for disabled people, research has claimed.

The study, by disability charity Leonard Cheshire, found 28 per cent of stations in Yorkshire and the Humber do not have step free access.

The charity says all of Britain’s railway stations will not be fully accessible until 2070, 40 years after its target, if the current rate of enhancement work continues.

It warned that inaccessible stations are stopping people such as wheelchair users from travelling by train.

In July 2018, the Government published an inclusive transport strategy with a commitment to make services “fully accessible for all passengers by 2030”.

But research by Leonard Cheshire found that step-free work is only being completed at 19 stations per year.

Out of the 2,579 stations in Britain, around 980 are not stepfree. Leonard Cheshire chief executive Neil Heslop said: “This is a timely reminder that our current rail network often excludes disabled people from making journeys others take for granted.

“As families look to enjoy the festive season together, accessibility issues will add unnecessary stress to disabled travellers who negotiate a substandard network every day. We call on Boris Johnson to prioritise the acceleration of Access for All, so disabled people can enjoy the life opportunities provided through modern, accessible rail travel.”

The Government’s Access for All programme was launched in 2006 and has led to step-free access being introduced at more than 200 stations but Leonard Cheshire said more still needs to be done.