Media centre

Monday 19 Sep 2011

RAIL ACCESS FOR ALL BEGINS AT LEOMINSTER

Region & Route:

| Wales & Western: Western

| Wales & Western

Work to improve step-free access at Leominster railway station has started.

Passengers from Leominster station will soon benefit from two new lifts, making access between the station entrance, ticket office and platforms much easier for people with reduced mobility.

 

The £1m improvement is part of the national ‘Access for All’ scheme, backed by the Department for Transport, that aims to provide step-free access to around 145 stations in England, Wales and Scotland.

The new lifts are also designed to provide passengers with a safe and secure environment, where they are well-lit and equipped with CCTVs and telephones. The platforms will also be refurbished with tactile paving.

Once work to improve the accessibility is completed, more work will be carried out to refurbish the station with a new waiting area, public toilets, extra platform seats and new signages. This work is carried out as part of the National Station Improvement Programme.

Mark Langman, route managing director for Wales, Network Rail, said: “Britain relies on rail so it’s vital that we provide facilities which make the railway easier to use, safer and more accessible for everyone. Whether you’re lugging heavy bags, have small children in tow or simply find the stairs a bit of a struggle, the improvements being to be made at Leominster will make a real difference to passengers.

Ian Bullock, customer services director for Arriva Trains Wales said: “These works are part of a wider programme by Department for Transport to improve accessibility at a number of stations we operate. We are also working with the Welsh Government to reduce stepping distances at more than 30 stations as part of our plans to improve access to our trains and stations. As an organisation we will continue to work with our industry partners to improve the journey experience even further.”

Leominster station lies on the Welsh Marches line and serves around 300,000 passengers on average each year. The station has two platforms but does not have step-free access and passengers with reduced mobility will have to travel to the next station to get across.