LCR to invest £19m in station accessibility upgrades
Liverpool City Region said it is on track to have “the most accessible train network in the country”.
The combined authority is planning to spend £19m installing lifts a Aigburth, Port Sunlight, Rock Ferry, and Walton stations to ensure they are step-free from pavement to platform.
The project forms part of recently re-elected Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram’s pledge to ensure all local train stations are fully accessible by 2030.
Once the work is completed, 80% of the city region’s station will have step-free access for passengers with reduced mobility and those with bikes and prams, making the network the country’s most accessible, according to the combined authority.
“At its best public transport can be a great leveller, connecting people from all walks of life with jobs, opportunities and each other,” Rotheram said.
“Since I was elected, we have invested tens of millions of pounds to improve step-free access across our train stations, which is why we are now one of the most accessible networks in the country – but I know there is still more work to be done.
“That is why I have pledged to make every station on our local rail network fully accessible by the end of the decade and this latest investment will take us one step closer to making that ambition a reality.”
The Combined Authority is investing £9.5m into the scheme through its £1.6bn City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement. A further £9.5m has been secured via Access for All accessibility funding.
There is accessible and accessible , yes of course people with disabilities, prams, bikes, etc need to be able to get to the trains, but what about people who don’t have a station in their area whether disabled or able-bodied. The Mayor should be re-opening lines like the outer-loop, which by-passes tens of thousands of residents in East Liverpool who have no trainline to get them into the city or from North to South.
By Anonymous
@Anonymous 1:13 whilst I agree with the sentiment, the cost of reopening closed tracks and stations would be massively higher than £19m. In some cases, that doesn’t even get you a basic new station.
By Anonymous
Hopefully they’ll employ a lift engineer too, so they can be fixed quickly if broken.
By Lurch
Hang on. No elevators working at Moorfields because they are so old NW Network Rail can’t find the parts to fit.
A new lift at Central has been two years in the making and still isn’t finished.
And the new NW rail board are discussing a Primark HS2 for Lpool and Man. Jokers.
By Eric
The Loop line is what, about 12 miles Halewood to Aintree, he does not need to electrify it as he can run his battery trains for that section.
Meanwhile 3 escalators at Moorfields out of action now for over 6 six weeks, while the platform lift and escalator at James St out of action for a similar period with no date for being resolved.
By Anonymous