Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Paul Maynard and Michael Fabricant

Thursday 17th November 2016 Commons Chamber

[Michael Fabricant (Lichfield) (Con)]

3. When he plans to announce the next tranche of railway stations to be provided with disabled access to all platforms; and if he will make a statement.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Paul Maynard)]

All the funding under the current pot of money for Access for All has been allocated to stations. We intend to seek further funding for the next rail control period. We will seek nominations from the industry and start to announce the successful projects in 2018.

[Michael Fabricant]

Lichfield happens to be one of the smallest cities in the country, but Lichfield Trent Valley railway station is an important interchange between the west coast main line and the cross-city line that connects Lichfield with Birmingham and with Redditch. Yet two out of the three platforms are completely inaccessible to anybody who is disabled, or indeed anybody who has baggage with them and wants to get to one of those platforms. We were meant to get disabled access in October this year, so when is it going to happen?

[Paul Maynard]

I am glad that my hon. Friend shares my commitment to and passion for improving disabled accessibility. I understand that he has met Network Rail at the station to discuss its plans for the project. It intends to start work as soon as possible and it should take about a year to complete, so I hope it will been seen within a year. Network Rail should appreciate that Access for All projects are as important as any of its major prestige projects.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Paul Maynard and Michael Fabricant

Thursday 15th September 2016 Commons Chamber

[Michael Fabricant (Lichfield) (Con)]

T4. Two out of three platforms at Lichfield Trent Valley railway station, which is on the west coast main line, are completely inaccessible to disabled people. First there was a plan to make them accessible; then we were told it was delayed. People in Lichfield—and, in particular, the Member of Parliament for Lichfield—are getting rather irritated about this. What is happening?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Paul Maynard)]

Like me, my hon. Friend is a passionate advocate of improved accessibility on our rail network. As he will know, some of the Access for All funding was re-prioritised under the Hendy recommendations. I am hoping to announce very shortly which stations will be prioritised again. I stop in Lichfield Trent Valley often myself—largely in the dark, I must confess—and I am sure there is a great need for improved accessibility there. I look forward to meeting my hon. Friend to further discuss that.