Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure train stations are wheelchair accessible.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

As part of the Prime Minister’s Network North announcement in October, the Government confirmed £350m will be made available to improve the accessibility of Britain’s train stations. We are assessing over 300 nominations for funding from April 2024 as part of the Access for All programme. At stations awarded funding we will deliver an obstacle free, accessible route from the station entrance to platforms. Successful nominations will be announced in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on people with disabilities of staffing unstaffed stations.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Staffing levels at railway stations is a matter for each train operator which are required by the Office of Rail and Road to establish and comply with an Accessible Travel Policy (ATP). An ATP sets out, among other things, the arrangements and assistance that an operator will provide to protect the interests of disabled people using its services and to facilitate such use.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether officials in his Department have had discussions with the Rail Delivery Group on the potential merits of expanding the provision for set down and pick up areas for wheelchair and blue badge holders at railway stations across the network.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Train operating companies are responsible for managing station car parks and we expect them to take into consideration the needs of their passengers and the views of local partners. Operators are also expected to set out how assistance will be provided around the station, including when connecting from the train to the car park, as part of their Accessible Travel Policy.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data his Department holds on the number of train stations which did not have (a) tactile paving, (b) disabled toilets, (c) changing places toilets and (d) step-free access to platforms as of 19 July 2023.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport recently completed an accessibility audit of all 2,577 stations. This data is now with the Great British Railways Transition Team who are considering how to make it available to the public and we will announce further details in due course. This is in addition to the Government’s commitment to ensure tactile paving is installed at every mainline station in Great Britain.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2023 to Question 191230 on Railway Stations: Disability, when he expects the Great British Railways Transition Team to publish data on the accessibility of station facilities.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The Great British Railways Transition Team is working with Network Rail and the Department to consider how to make Accessibility Audit data available to the public. This work is underway, and we will announce further details in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 1 February 2022 to Question 113209 on Railway Stations: Disability, what progress his Department has made on conducting a network-wide accessibility audit of station facilities at all 2,565 mainline railway stations in Great Britain to inform future investment decisions.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Work is now complete on auditing all stations across Great Britain to understand how accessible they are for passengers with a range of requirements. We have commissioned the Great British Railways Transition Team to implement data platforms to (a) allow passengers to access this information to better plan their journeys and (b) allow the rail industry to better plan how they operate the network.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of reduced levels of train station staffing on people with disabilities.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The Plan for Rail sets out the industry’s ambition to move staff from behind the ticket office screens to help passengers wherever they are at the station and so to provide a better service. Moving staff from ticket offices to more visible and accessible roles around stations can help passengers more, which is crucial for those who need additional support. The industry recognises station staff are beneficial for passengers’ safety, and no currently staffed stations will become unstaffed as a result of this reform.

Ministers have been engaging closely with the rail industry as it develops staffing and retailing reforms and have been working with the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) and other passenger advocacy groups to ensure any impact on passengers is considered. Train and station operators are required by their operating licences to establish and comply with an Accessible Travel Policy (ATP) which must be approved by the Office of Rail and Road, the independent regulator. An ATP sets out, among other things, the arrangements and assistance that an operator will provide to protect the interests of disabled people using its services and to facilitate such use.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many stations do not have wheelchair access to each platform; and what steps he is taking to reduce this number.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Around one fifth of stations in Great Britain currently have step free access, but we are improving our understanding of accessibility at stations through a full GB wide audit that is expected to complete by Spring. We continue to improve accessibility through the Access for All programme, which has provided step free accessible routes at over 200 stations so far.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the number of railway stations in England that do not have disabled access to (a) public lavatories and (b) all platforms.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The 2021 Plan for Rail committed to a comprehensive accessibility audit of all stations in Great Britain which will include disabled access to lavatories and all platforms. Over 85% of stations have now been audited and we expect to finish this work by Spring 2023.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of recent trends in the level of staffing at train stations on provision for disabled passengers.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Disabilities shouldn’t stop people using our railways. Rail staff will always provide face-to-face service for passengers who need additional support. We are committed to transforming accessibility across the UK rail network, moving staff out of underused ticket offices and into the station where they can provide help where it is most needed. We are also undertaking a full accessibility audit across 2,564 stations across Great Britain to help shape future investment in accessible rail travel.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress he has made on ensuring all train stations have step-free access.

Answered by Kevin Foster

The Access for All programme has delivered accessible routes at more than 200 stations, including Slough station. Around another 100 are due to be completed by 2024 and Johnstone, Hunt’s Cross and Eridge are among the stations recently completed. This is in addition to access improvements delivered when the industry installs, replaces or renews station infrastructure.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of Northern Rail on the (a) efficacy and (b) practical workings of its Accessible Travel Policy including the policy of arranging alternative transport when a customer cannot access a platform.

Answered by Wendy Morton

There is robust and locally-based periodic and day-to-day management of the Northern Trains Limited contract, through the Rail North Partnership, including in the area of Accessibility.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department plans to announce a timetable for submissions to the Access for All Programme in Control Period Seven.

Answered by Wendy Morton

I recently commissioned the next round of nominations for the Access for All programme, with a deadline of 16 September. Any station in Great Britain without an accessible route into the station, to and between all platforms will be a potential candidate.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the nomination process for the next round of the Access for All programme will open.

Answered by Wendy Morton

Nominations for the next round of Access for All (AfA) funding were formally commissioned on 17 June with a deadline of 16 September. Any station in Great Britain without an accessible route into the station and to all platforms will be a potential candidate.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2022 to Question 105660 on Railway Stations: Disability, what further progress has been made towards finalising a public consultation to revise the Design Standards for Accessible Stations: A Code of Practice.

Answered by Wendy Morton

We are in the process of finalising a public consultation to revise the Design Standards for Accessible Stations: A Code of Practice. We will make a further announcement shortly.