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Friday 11 Oct 2019

Stechford station has ‘lift off’: accessibility transformation reaches major milestone

Region & Route:

North West & Central

The transformation of Stechford station in Birmingham to make it more accessible for passengers has reached a key milestone with the new footbridge and lift shafts now in place.

Passengers can now see what the finished upgrade will look like after the main structures were built last weekend.

Good progress is being made on the £3.9 million overhaul and since March this year Network Rail has:

• Installed a temporary passenger footbridge to be used while work takes place
• Completed all foundation work
• Installed the modern footbridge, ramps, staircases and lift shafts.

The upgrade to make the station accessible for West Midlands Railway’s passengers will be finished by the end of the year and will include the:

• Completion of brickwork installation to lift shafts and motor rooms
• Installation of a new shelter for passengers
• Installation of new lighting and upgrading of CCTV

The multi-million-pound investment has come directly from the Department for Transport’s 'Access for All' programme, which was launched in 2006 to improve accessibility at railway stations nationwide.

It forms part of Britain’s multi-billion-pound Railway Upgrade Plan, the biggest investment in the railway since Victorian times.

Harpreet Singh Moore, Network Rail scheme project manager, said: “We thank passengers for their patience while we make these major accessibility improvements at Stechford station as part of our Railway Upgrade Plan. After months of important preparation work, now the new permanent structures have been built the revamped station is really starting to take shape. Work is progressing well and we’re still expecting to finish by the end of the year.”

Richard Brooks, customer experience director for West Midlands Railway, said: “Rail travel is continuing to grow in popularity and one of the key drivers of this is making sure the railway is open to everyone. We are always looking for new ways to make it easier for people to travel and it is great to see the progress of these improvements at Stechford. We are investing £1bn into our network, including the introduction of new trains which will significantly increase capacity at Stechford and beyond.”

Although the station looks different to passengers during this major upgrade, the work is not causing any disruption to trains serving Stechford.

Passengers can plan their journeys by visit www.nationalrail.co.uk.

For more information about the ‘Access for all’ programme visit www.networkrail.co.uk/access-for-all/