AN INDEPENDENT VOICE FOR RAIL USERS No 154 £2 December 2017 An uphill struggle for the right to travel Picture: Paul Tattam by train SEE PAGE 2 PAGE ONE PICTURE: Chinley (and many other stations) deserve better access Our page one picture shows red- The sun should be setting on diesels up there too. The £70 million coated MP Ruth George surrounded national initiative for full accessi- By Chris Austin by people on the footbridge steps of bility on the railways launched in
[email protected] Chinley station in October. 2016 by Transport Minister Alex- Since the shock announcement The High Peak MP promised to ander Dobrindt started, interest- from Transport Secretary Chris deliver an 800-signature petition ingly, with smaller stations with Grayling in July which brought to the Department for Transport, Picture: Paul Tattam less than one 1,000 entries/exits to a close the ambitious electri- calling for better access to the per day. Additionally the Ger- fication programme supported station. man “Northern Powerhouse” of previously by industry and Gov- Lifts and ramps can be life- Nordrhein-Westfalen has its own ernment, Railfuture has been Picture: NETWORK RAIL transforming for people with £900 million programme for the working to understand the issues disabilities but they help virtually modernisation of 150 of its 697 and what is best for the passen- everyone else, especially those with stations between 2017 and 2023, ger, the freight customer and the prams, luggage and bicycles too. by which date 80% of its stations railway which serves them. And Chinley is typical of many other will have step-free access (cur- None of us believes that the pres- stations throughout Britain where rently 73%).