'We're lagging behind': Northern political leaders call for £400m rail network investment

The call-to-arms came after a recent 2,000-person survey for Transport for the North (TfN) revealed that service users believed train stations in the north were not accessible enough.

Political leaders in the North are now calling for the Government to expedite the devolution of accessibility budgets so local Mayors can make accessibility and safety at railway stations across the region a priority to ensure those with health conditions or disabilities are catered for.

“Accessibility is key,” said Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester and Chair of TfN Rail North Committee. “A rail network has to be for everybody. The simple ability to get around is a right that should be available to all our communities.

“We have tactile paving in our urban spaces and step-free access in key public buildings, and we need that accessibility extended to our whole rail network,” added Burnham, who has written to the Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander asking for an additional £400 million over five years to address accessibility issues.

“Without [accessibility], we close off opportunities to lots of our people and businesses. We are calling on the Government to address these accessibility challenges and create a more inclusive rail network for all rail passengers to use. If it works for the Northern economy, it benefits the national economy too.”

Holding back the economy

Amongst other findings, the Transport for the North (TfN) research revealed that:

• Fewer than half the stations in the North have step-free access
• More than 6 in 10 stations don’t have fully accessible waiting shelters
• Nearly a quarter have no public address systems

TfN analysis also shows that, at the current rate of investment, the North’s rail stations would not all be step-free until the 22nd Century, which the organisation claim is ‘holding back the economy, making it difficult for those that live and work in the North to access jobs, education and training, services and opportunities’.

With poor accessibility meaning that many passengers are in need of support and assistance to travel with confidence at a time when more than half the North’s stations are completely unstaffed, TfN also raised other issues including inadequate lighting and CCTV, which make stations feel unsafe, especially to women and girls.

“Everyone should be able to travel with confidence, and it is so important that transport networks improve accessibility without delay to make this a reality across the board,” said North East Mayor, Kim McGuinness.

“Our own North East Metro system was the first in the UK to have step-free access throughout and tactile paving on every platform, as well as having a network of more than 500 digital CCTV cameras which is particularly reassuring for those travelling at night,” McGuinness added. “The national rail system lags decades behind and we need to fix this so everyone can travel with ease and dignity.

“We need devolution of our stations and rail networks so that we can bring the standard up right across the UK, accessibility should be at the heart of every network alongside safety – particularly for vulnerable groups and women and girls.”