Improving accessibility at railway stations across Britain

This authorities is dedicated to enhancing the accessibility of Britain’s railway and recognises the numerous social and financial advantages of doing so. As we transfer in direction of the institution of Nice British Railways, we are going to present higher element of how these ambitions will probably be funded and delivered.

Since 2006, the Entry for All (AfA) programme has delivered step-free accessible routes at over 270 stations.

In Might 2024, the earlier authorities introduced feasibility work on 50 stations with out indicating how the supply of such schemes could be funded, elevating important stakeholder expectations. This authorities is dedicated to a rigorous method and solely making commitments we imagine are reasonably priced and would characterize worth for cash to passengers and taxpayers. As such, ministers have fastidiously thought of the findings of the preliminary feasibility work and have determined which can progress, utilizing the next standards:

1. Busy stations, the place upgrades would profit important numbers of passengers.
2. Making certain unfold of tasks throughout Wales, Scotland and completely different elements of England.
3. Making use of pre-existing technical growth work.
4. The presence of a third-party funding contribution.

On this foundation, ministers have made the next selections in relation to the 50 tasks introduced by the earlier authorities:

The 8 tasks are progressing on to supply:

• Ash Vale
• Colchester
• Port Daylight
• Thirsk
• Walton (Merseyside)
• Bellgrove
• Aigburth (already in supply)
• Rock Ferry (already in supply)

The 23 tasks are progressing to detailed design:

• Battle
• Bodmin Parkway Bredbury
• Citadel Cary
• Dalston Kingsland
• Dorchester South Esher
• Falkirk Grahamston
• Flowery Discipline
• Gunnersbury
• Hedge Finish
• Excessive Brooms
• Kew Bridge
• Kidbrooke
• Marden
• Newton for Hyde
• Raynes Park
• Roar
• Shotton
• Swanwick
• Ulverston
• Wymondham
• Yeovil Junction

The 19 tasks is not going to be progressing at this level:

• Bushey
• Chinley
• Church and Oswaldtwistle
• Dudley Port
• Dumbarton Central
• Inverurie
• Leagrave
• Ledbury
• Maidstone West
• Neath
• Sileby
• Sleaford
• Small Heath
• South Croydon
• Stamford
• Stroud
• Upminster
• Whitchurch (Shropshire)
• Wivelsfield

The Rail Minister has written to the MP representing every of the 50 stations introduced by the earlier authorities. He has provided to fulfill to elucidate the choice for these 19 tasks which is not going to be progressing at this level.

A future spherical of AfA could also be funded as a part of the subsequent spending evaluate and this might present a chance to completely or partially fund accessibility upgrades at different stations throughout Britain. The method and timings for figuring out potential future AfA tasks haven’t but been determined, though now we have dedicated to reforming the AfA programme as we transfer in direction of the institution of Nice British Railways (GBR).

Third-party funding contributions will probably be a key consideration in selecting future AfA schemes. This method recognises the restricted funding authorities could make obtainable to fund accessibility upgrades, in addition to the numerous advantages they carry to native communities. To assist this, officers will probably be working with Community Rail to develop steerage setting out greatest practise examples of how native funding packages have been assembled. We inherited a major backlog of AfA tasks initiated below the earlier authorities. Whereas we stay dedicated to the supply of the overwhelming majority of those legacy AfA tasks, ministers have taken tough however crucial selections in relation to the next 5 legacy tasks:

• Beaconsfield – supply deferred to railway funding Management Interval 8 (2029 to 2034) to extra effectively align with deliberate station drainage renewal works

• Brondesbury – supply deferred to 2028 to 2029 to extra effectively align with deliberate station platform renewal works

• Cricklewood – indefinitely deferred as the advantages such upgrades would ship to customers of the station wouldn’t justify the numerous disruption prompted to different customers of the Midland Predominant Line and the numerous prices to passengers and taxpayers

• Ockenden – indefinitely deferred because the station is already extremely accessible, with solely sure peak-time trains stopping on the inaccessible platform

• Palmers Inexperienced – indefinitely deferred as the advantages such upgrades would ship to customers of the station wouldn’t justify the numerous disruption prompted to different customers of the West Anglia Line and the numerous prices to passengers and taxpayers

The Rail Minister has written to the MP representing every of the above 5 legacy tasks and has provided to fulfill to elucidate the choices made.