Railway station access won’t be completed until campaigner is old man

ITV Granada Reports correspondent Andy Bonner spoke to Nathaniel Yates about his campaign.

A campaigner has told ITV News he will be an old man before a programme to improve accessibility at railway stations is completed.

Nathaniel Yates, 31, who has cerebral palsy, has been calling for better access since he fell on stairs at his local station in Greater Manchester in 2013.

He said when he returned five years later, he realised that nothing had changed.

However, he has since learned that half of all stations in the city region don’t have step-free access.

The local transport authority is prioritising stations to apply for funding to make improvements, but Nathaniel said it would be 2070 before all stations would be fully accessible at the current rate.

“Maybe it will be in my lifetime,” he said. "I may be an old man before then!"

On the street with no name, a railway station with no easy accessibility.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) says around 45% of railway stations have step-free access. A further 14% have steep ramps which are only partially accessible.

Nathaniel has been campaigning for improvements at Levenshulme station, where the platforms are at the top of two flights of steps.

It has now been identified as the top priority station and TfGM says it is exploring funding opportunities. Simon Elliott, Head of Rail at TfGM, said: “Improving rail station accessibility is a key priority for the city region and over the last few years Transport for Greater Manchester has been working with Northern, Network Rail and other partners and stakeholders to make our railways as accessible as possible. "We have reviewed all stations across the city-region to identify those most in need of step free access to develop a prioritised list which is used to determine where we focus funding as it becomes available. “Funding has been secured to make 10 priority stations step free, two of which – Daisy Hill and Irlam – are currently in construction, and the others in various stages of design."

Cllr Baynham said she was shocked so many stations don’t have access ramps for people who need them.

Woodsmoor station, Stockport, is also said to be on the list for improvements.It is the main railway access to near Stepping Hill Hospital but only one platform is step-free.

Cllr Grace Baynham, Cabinet Member for Parks, Highways and Transport Services at Stockport Council, has been working with Nathaniel.

She said, “It’s not very welcoming that people can’t access it without using the steps.

"For people to fully access all the services they need, there needs to be step-free access across the borough."

Nathaniel added, “Everybody should have the right to use the trains. Access should be for all."