Stations: Step-free Access

Kate Dearden Excerpts

Tuesday 18th March 2025 Westminster Hall

[Kate Dearden (Halifax) (Lab/Co-op)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Dowd. I begin by congratulating the hon. Member for Wimbledon (Mr Kohler) on securing this important debate on step-free access at stations. We all recognise how vital our transportation system is to the daily lives of millions across the country. It is the backbone of our economy, connecting people to jobs, opportunities and essential services, while also enabling people to spend time with friends and family. Crucially, it is also about ensuring that everybody, regardless of their mobility, can access those same opportunities.

At a recent meeting hosted by a fantastic organisation based in my Halifax constituency called Lead the Way, which provides invaluable guidance and support to people with learning disabilities and to their families and carers, I had the opportunity to hear directly from constituents about the significant impacts that inaccessible travel can have on their lives. As I said to those constituents, and I say to Members today, I absolutely share the passion for delivering transport infrastructure that is not only efficient, but inclusive. The principle of step-free access at stations is a vital element in ensuring that we have a transport system that works for everyone.

The Government’s ambition is to see everybody using our transport network with ease and confidence. That means giving disabled people, older people and those with additional needs access to the services that many of us take for granted. Since 2006, the Access for All programme has been pivotal in advancing that goal. Since launching, the programme has developed step-free, accessible routes at more than 260 stations, as well as smaller-scale improvements at more than 1,500 stations, including accessible toilets and improved customer information systems. The Department has been clear that the need for step-free access at our stations is not just a matter of convenience, but a matter of fairness. That is why, since April 2024, 22 stations have been completed under the Access for All programme, with a further five due to be completed by April 2025.

[Alison Bennett (Mid Sussex) (LD)]

A constituent with mobility issues recently wrote to me about his concerns about Wivelsfield station in Burgess Hill. It was part of the Access for All scheme, but the money for improvements has yet to be forthcoming. It is another example of a station like that mentioned by my hon. Friend the Member for Wimbledon (Mr Kohler), where one side of the platform is accessible but not the other. Will the Minister ask officials to look into what is happening at Wivelsfield station and write to my office with an update on progress?

[Kate Dearden]

I thank the hon. Member for her contribution, which has been noted and heard. I am just coming to an update on the Access for All programme. As I mentioned, 22 stations have been completed under the programme, with a further five due to be completed by April 2025. That will be the highest number of stations completed in any single year since the programme began, but we know our work is far from done.

Much of our rail network was designed in the Victorian era. It was an impressive engineering achievement for its time, but it falls short of meeting the accessibility standards that 21st century passengers rightly expect. Today, only a fifth of stations across Great Britain offer step-free access to and between all platforms. However, it is important to recognise the progress made, with 75% of journeys now passing through step-free stations, which is a significant improvement on 50% in 2005.

I share hon. Members’ frustrations that changes have not happened at the pace people would like to see. The Network Rail performance at the end of control period 6 was not good enough, with a number of projects late and over budget. We have taken steps to rectify that, including restoring a strong national oversight team at National Rail, so that best practice between routes and regions can be shared.

Under the previous Government, 310 nominations were received from Network Rail, train operating companies and other strategic transport organisations for the next round of Access for All. Last year, a list of 50 stations selected for initial feasibility work was announced. I am pleased to report that significant progress has been made with those studies. To date, 29 feasibility studies have been completed, with remaining studies on track for completion by the summer.

[Helen Morgan]

Will the Minister commit to those stations that have had their design and feasibility studies done? Some had commitments from the Minister in the previous Government, before the election was called. Can she commit to getting on with those stations? It is extremely frustrating for residents in places such as Whitchurch, who thought they were getting Access for All but have had the rug pulled from under their feet.

[Kate Dearden]

We will continue to take the Access for All programme forward as fast as funds allow. We will write to her with any updates we can provide. We are strongly committed to making the oldest railway in the world accessible to everybody and we will announce the stations progressing to design in the summer. We remain committed to building on progress and Ministers are carefully considering the best approach for the Access for All programme in control period 7. The Department for Transport will provide updates to all stakeholders in due course.

[Wendy Chamberlain]

Can we get a timescale on that? It sounded like lots of warm words and commitment and passion, but, as my hon. Friend the Member for North Shropshire (Helen Morgan) said, there are now communities waiting with expectation. What timescale is the Department working to?

[Kate Dearden]

We will be able to make an announcement over the summer. I will not stand here today and make unfunded spending commitments—as Members will probably appreciate, that would be far above my pay grade. We will announce the stations that are progressing to design in the summer and the outcome, most likely, after the spending review.

The programme is, of course, vital to ensure that people with disabilities, parents with prams, who Members have mentioned, and older people, as well as anyone with reduced mobility, are not excluded from our public transport system. It is about giving everyone the same opportunity to travel freely, with dignity and without encountering unnecessary barriers.

Access for All is just one element in improving access to railway stations, and I will highlight some recent successes. The Elizabeth line has made significant strides in improving station accessibility across all 41 stations on the line, setting a benchmark for future projects, including level boarding from platform to train in its central section. That means that passengers with wheelchairs or other mobility aids can board trains without the need for assistance, thanks to the alignment of platforms and trains at the same level, which is a significant achievement for inclusive design.

Another notable example is the Northumberland line project, with all six of its new stations having step-free access. That ensures that everybody, regardless of their physical ability, can access a service, eliminating barriers and promoting equality. The stations are designed to accommodate passengers with mobility challenges by providing ramps, lifts and other accessible features. We are also pleased that the trans-Pennine route upgrade is set to deliver step-free access at all but one of its stations once the upgrade work is complete.

In addition to those specific projects, the broader rail industry is taking steps to improve step-free access in both existing and new stations. The Office of Rail and Road plays a crucial role in that effort by setting guidelines and taking enforcement action against companies that fail to meet accessibility requirements. The industry is held accountable to standards that require a commitment to step-free access as part of its service offering. When those requirements are not met, the Office of Rail and Road can take the necessary actions to ensure compliance, which may include fines or forcing the implementation of corrective measures.

I have highlighted the importance of delivering step-free access across Great Britain, which reflects the Government’s unwavering commitment to improving accessibility. Programmes such as Access for All, alongside major advancements such as the trans-Pennine route upgrade and the Elizabeth line, demonstrate the progress that we are making.

In conclusion, I urge all Members to continue to advocate for step-free access at stations, not just as an aspiration but as an essential part of our transport infrastructure. Together, we can ensure that no one is left behind. The journey towards an accessible and inclusive transport system is one that we can and must complete.

I again thank the hon. Member for Wimbledon for securing this important debate and I thank everyone else here for their contributions to it. I wish you all a great day.

Question put and agreed to.