MP and MSP revisit Port Glasgow station to mark completion of accessibility project: Port Glasgow AfA MP MSP visit (6)

Friday 1 Mar 2024

MP and MSP revisit Port Glasgow station to mark completion of accessibility project

Region & Route:
Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

Scotland’s Railway today (March 1) welcomed MP Ronnie Cowan and MSP Stuart McMillan once again to Port Glasgow station.

The elected members were invited to discuss the successful delivery of the £5m project to improve accessibility for passengers.

Work to provide step-free access at the station began last February and has been carried out by Network Rail and main contractor STORY (on behalf of Scotland’s Railway).

It’s now easier for those with limited mobility or travelling with children, luggage, or cycles to move between the platforms.

Mr Cowan and Mr McMillan have received regular progress updates and met with the project team at major milestones throughout the project, including the installation of the new footbridge and lift towers and the official opening ceremony in December.

More recently, the old footbridge was removed during a series of planned closures on the Inverclyde line and the pair had the opportunity to discuss this latest transformation which marked the successful completion of the project.


Laura Craig, Scheme Project Manager for Network Rail, said: “It was great to welcome Mr Cowan and McMillan back to the station now that the main work is complete.

“Throughout the project, we’ve appreciated the opportunity to liaise with elected members, Inverclyde Council and Port Glasgow West Community Council who have all helped us make sure the community were kept well informed about the work taking place at the station.

“Thanks also to Transport Scotland, Department for Transport, ScotRail and SPT for their support in making this project complete on time and within budget.”

Ronnie Cowan, MP for Inverclyde, said: "This is a major boost for Port Glasgow and Inverclyde as a whole.

"A huge factor in getting people to use our railways is in making things easy and accessible.

"That means it should be easy for people with a disability or health issue, elderly people and mums and dads and even grandads like me juggling children's buggies.

"The late SNP councillor Jim MacLeod lobbied for these improvements tirelessly as a champion of disability issues and these fantastic improvements at our station form a lasting legacy to Jim.

"I'd like to thank Network Rail and the contractors STORY for delivering this complex series of improvements with the absolute minimum of disruption."

Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, said: “I’m delighted to see the improvement works at Port Glasgow have been completed, providing step-free access throughout the station to ensure all local commuters can get the most out of Scotland’s railway.

“I want to thank Network Rail and all those involved in bringing this project to fruition – particularly the campaigning efforts of late Councillor Jim MacLeod and the Hurrell family.”

Contact information

Passengers / community members
Network Rail national helpline
03457 11 41 41

Latest travel advice
Please visit National Rail Enquiries

Journalists
Network Rail Press Office - Monica McGinley
Communications Manager
Network Rail
monica.mcginley@networkrail.co.uk

About Network Rail

We own, operate and develop Britain's railway infrastructure; that's 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations. We run 20 of the UK's largest stations while all the others, over 2,500, are run by the country's train operating companies.

Usually, there are almost five million journeys made in the UK and over 600 freight trains run on the network. People depend on Britain's railway for their daily commute, to visit friends and loved ones and to get them home safe every day. Our role is to deliver a safe and reliable railway, so we carefully manage and deliver thousands of projects every year that form part of the multi-billion pound Railway Upgrade Plan, to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years.

Follow us on Twitter: @networkrail
Visit our online newsroom: www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk