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Thursday 12 Feb 2015

New lifts and footbridge to provide better access at Penrith station

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Penrith station is to benefit from step-free access throughout thanks to a proposed new footbridge and lifts.

Network Rail is due to begin work to improve access at the station in late 2015 thanks to a £3.3 million investment by the government’s Access for All (AfA) scheme.

Plans for the improvements were discussed between Network Rail, Virgin Trains and Rory Stewart MP this week when the local member of parliament visited the station.

A new lift will be installed either side of a new footbridge which will link platforms over the West Coast main line. Improvements will also be made to the platforms with tactile paving fitted to highlight where the platform’s edge is.

The investment has been welcomed by Judith Holmshaw, a disabled passenger who uses the station to travel between Penrith and Carlisle.

Commenting on the news, Judith Holmshaw said: “As a regular user of the trains between Carlisle and Penrith stations daily for work, I am really looking forward to the Penrith lifts being installed.

"Being a wheelchair user I have to use the barrow crossing to get home and sometimes it's wet and cold and at times I miss my train if there is not enough time for me to the cross the line. I usually have to arrive 10-15 minutes earlier to allow time to cross the line where with the new lift I can arrive just before my train and also cross the line independently. The staff at Penrith are very helpful and so friendly but I can't wait to be able to cross the line by myself using the new lifts. It will also make it better for other elderly people or parents with prams so definitely a great investment."

Transport Minister Baroness Kramer said: “It is vital that our rail network is accessible to as many people as possible, and the planned improvements at Penrith will make a real difference to passengers – from those with limited mobility, people with heavy luggage or parents with prams.

“By the end of 2019, we will have spent more than £550 million to improve accessibility at more than 200 stations, as part of our plans to build a stronger economy and a fairer society.”

Ian Joslin, area director for Network Rail, said: “Access for All is a significant investment which helps to make using the railway even easier for the millions of passengers who travel by train every year. Penrith station, on the busy West Coast main line, will have step-free access for the first time and the new bridge and lifts will be a valuable addition to the station’s facilities.”

Anna Doran, Virgin Trains’ general manager for Anglo-Scottish services, said: “This investment is really welcome and will make a huge difference to our customers.

“As well as transforming the experience of wheelchair users accessing the northbound platform, it will make life significantly easier for elderly passengers and those with families and large bags who may struggle to use the steps to the underpass.”

Penrith’s main station building is a listed structure. Discussions are taking place with the local authority and English Heritage so that the new bridge - which has to be larger than normal to accommodate the railway and overhead lines underneath - fits in as well as possible with the station environment.

Design work is currently under way. Work is due to start in late 2015 to be completed by late 2016.