Department for Transport

Funding to improve access at stations announced
_______________________________________________________________

date 26 Jul 2006 00:00
source Department for Transport
type Press release

note [[note: we regret that the originating layout does not allow exact reproduction]]

Disabled Access to 104 train stations in England and Wales will be improved following an announcement by Rail Minister Derek Twigg today.

The Government has allocated £3.1 million to help deliver enhancements such as new lifts, improved disabled parking, signage, lighting and flooring. The funding, which forms part of the Access for All fund announced in March, will be matched by funding from elsewhere in the industry and the total cost of the work will amount to over £7 m.

The funding is part of the Government's ongoing strategy to deliver improved access for disabled people across the rail network. The funding gives transport operators the opportunity to make improvements to local stations. It is in addition to the Government's £35 million a year 'Access for All' funding for larger schemes, existing franchise commitments and other major station improvements.

The Minster has also invited bidders to come forward for a second round of funding for this financial year.

Derek Twigg said:

"This funding will help improve access to our railway stations. Small schemes can make a big difference and these projects will benefit disabled passengers by helping to provide an inclusive transport system. The improvements at train stations will increase access to employment, social and leisure activities.

"The rail industry needs to continue working together to deliver access improvements. This funding demonstrates our dedication to that process."

Successful stations for Access for All Small Schemes funding are in the following table:

[[we regret that this document does not permit exact reproduction of the original layout]]

Organisation Station Scheme Summary Total Total A4A PROJECT FUNDING CAPITAL / CAPITAL / £ £
Cornwall Camborne Station 336,000 106,000
County improvements
Council including
non-slip platform
surface, new
tactile paving,
lighting, colour
contrasting,
low-height ticket
counter and
upgraded disabled
toilet and
dedicated
disabled parking
space.

London South Bermondsey Improvements to 110,000 50,000 Borough of station access
Southwark route.
East Riding Beverley Complete upgrade 157,131 78,565 of Yorks. of existing
Council station lighting
Southern Worthing Provision of 130,000 65,000 step-free access
to main entrance
and new Code of
Practice
compliant ticket
window.
Southern Goring-by-Sea Provision of 46,000 23,000 step-free access
to platform 2.
City of York York Provision of 250,000 125,000 Council step-free access
at North-Western
entrance.
Central Boston Installation of 14,000 7,000 Trains new disabled
toilet facility
and provision of
improved signage.
Merseyrail Ainsdale Installation of a 12,500 6,000 Electrics new disabled
toilet facility
to Code of
Practice
standards as a
pilot for
subsequent
installations.
Chiltern Beaconsfield Improvements to 117,000 59,000 station access
route and
improvements to
existing disabled
toilet
facilities.
Gerrards Cross
Great Missenden
Stoke Mandeville
First London Improvements to 94,000 47,000 Capital Blackfriars existing stairs
Connect including
provision of
anti-slip
surfaces on the
treads and new
handrails.
Loughborough
Junction
South Merton
St Helier
Sutton Common
West Sutton
First City Thameslink Upgrading of 150,000 75,000 Capital existing lighting
Connect to Railway Group
Standards
including wider
coverage.
Elephant & Castle
London
Blackfriars
Radlett
St Albans
First Bedford Installation of 79,000 39,000 Capital new automatic
Connect doors.
London
Blackfriars
Luton
First St Albans Upgrade to the 7,000 3,500 Capital existing
Connect induction loop.
First Radlett Upgrade of the 1,000 500 Capital existing disabled
Connect parking spaces to
Code of Practice
standard.
First Huntingdon Installation of 55,000 27,000 Capital automatic doors,
Connect low-level ticket
counter,
induction loop
and dropped kerb.
First City Thameslink Improvements at 42,000 21,000 Capital existing disabled
Connect toilets to bring
them to Code of
Practice
standards.
London
Blackfriars
Radlett
St Albans
First Warrington Installation of 2 537,000 250,000 Transpennine Central new lifts between
Express subway and
platforms 1 and
2.
First Birchwood Installation of 35,000 18,000 Transpennine an automatic door
Express and level access
to provide full
disabled access
to platform.
First Barrow-In-Furness Provision of 30,000 15,000 Transpennine level access to
Express station toilets
and waiting
rooms.
Scunthorpe
Stalybridge
First Arnside Provision of new 318,000 159,000 Transpennine Code of Practice
Express compliant
disabled parking
spaces at
accessible
platforms.
Brough
First Barrow-In-Furness Provision of new 192,000 96,000 Transpennine non-slip and
Express tonal contrast
floor finishes to
Code of Practice
standard.
Birchwood
Cleethorpes
Dewsbury
Grange-over-Sands
Grimsby Town
Huddersfield
Manchester
Airport
Middlesbrough
Northallerton
Scarborough
Scunthorpe
Selby
Stalybridge
Thirsk
Thornaby
Ulverston
Warrington
Central
Windermere
First Barrow-in-Furness Installation of 262,000 131,000 Transpennine new automatic
Express doors.
Cleethorpes
Grimsby Town
Huddersfield
Middlesbrough
Scarborough
Scunthorpe
Selby
Windermere
First Stalybridge Raising two 501,000 230,000 Transpennine platforms to
Express provide level
access for new
rolling stock to
Code of Practice
standards.
First Great Bridgwater Replacement of 20,000 10,000 Western existing steep
ramp.
First Great Evesham Improve ramp into 140,000 65,000 Western platform 2 to
Code of Practice
standard plus new
lighting and
handrails.
First Great Dawlish Installation of 36,500 18,250 Western new ramp to
improve level
access.
First Great Keynsham Installation of 60,000 30,000 Western new ramp to
platform.
First Great Gloucester Installation of 45,000 22,500 Western new ramp to
platform.
First Great Bradford on Avon Provision of new 85,000 25,000 Western access route.
West Garforth Installation of 234,000 117,000 Yorkshire new ramp with
PTE lighting and
handrails.
West Ilkley Installation of 125,000 63,000 Yorkshire new level access
PTE route including
provision of
CCTV, lighting
and signage.
Arriva Bangor Installation of 40,000 20,000 Trains Wales lift remote
control facility.
Colwyn Bay
Rhyl
Arriva Abergavenny To upgrade or 43,000 22,000 Trains Wales provide new
disabled parking
spaces to Code of
Practice
standards.
Bangor
Bridgend
Cardiff Central
Carmarthen
Chester
Colwyn Bay
Hereford
Llandudno
Junction
Ludlow
Milford Haven
Neath
Newport Gwent
Pembroke Dock
Port Talbot
Parkway
Severn Tunnel
Junction
Shrewsbury
Swansea
Tenby
Wrexham General
Arriva Port Talbot To install new 14,000 7,000 Trains Wales Parkway non-slip treads
and colour
contrasts to
existing
footbridge.
London & Dover Priory Major station 442,000 200,000 South refurbishment
Eastern including
Railway improvements to
the accessible
route, ticket
office, toilets,
doors, flooring,
Customer
Information
Screens, lighting
and signage.
CENTRO Bournville Installation and 536,000 244,000 upgrade of
customer
information
screens,
automatic public
address systems
and induction
loops
Five Ways
Kings Norton
Selly Oak
Solihull
Sutton Coldfield
University
Walsall
CENTRO Cradley Heath Installation and 835,000 248,000 upgrade of
customer
information
screens,
automatic public
address systems
and induction
loops
Dorridge
Erdington
Four Oaks
Longbridge
Marston Green
Northfield
Rowley Regis
Sandwell & Dudley
Smethwick Galton
Bridge
CENTRO Aston Installation and 566,000 245,000 upgrade of
customer
information
screens,
automatic public
address systems
and induction
loops
Duddeston
Jewellery Quarter
Shirley
Tame Bridge
Parkway
Tile Hill
Tyseley
Merseytravel Maghull Installation of 198,000 99,000 new customer
information
screens, waiting
facilities and
seating
provision.
Merseytravel Birkdale Installation of 130,000 65,000 new customer
information
screens, waiting
facilities and
seating
provision.
Merseytravel Rainhill Provision of 55,084 28,000 step-free access
by a new ramp;
creation of new
disabled parking
spaces; new
signage
7,080,215 3,160,315

Notes to editors

1. The Railways for All Strategy was launched by Derek Twigg on 23 March. (Copies are available from the DfT website).

2. The Strategy explains how the rail industry will improve accessibility of rail travel in Great Britain and includes details of the how the £370m ring fenced Access for All funding (announced by the Strategic Rail Authority in 2005) will be allocated over the next ten years.

3. The funding is in two parts:

i. Around £35m a year will be allocated to Network Rail to provide a step free route from drop off points to, and between, all platforms at selected stations. A list of the first 47 stations to be targeted for investment in the first three years of the programme is available on the DfT website.

ii. A Small Schemes fund of around £7m a year to fund locally focused and innovative access solutions at stations. This funding is available to train operators, local authorities and other third parties on a match funded basis. The fund will contribute up to 50% of a scheme's capital costs up to a maximum of £250,000.

4. The second round of bidding for this financial year will be on the same basis and terms as the first round. The deadline for bids is 15 September 2006.

Public Enquiries: 020 7944 8300
Department for Transport Website: http://www.dft.gov.uk

Railhub Archive ::: 2006-07-26 DfT-001