Campaigner’s bid to make Manchester train stations fully accessible for passengers with disabilities

An accessibility campaigner is urging the public to get behind a bid to make a Manchester train station easier for disabled passengers to use.

Nathaniel Yates, from Stockport, wants to create step-free access to Levenshulme railway station and is backing a bid for cash to make it happen through the Access For All programme.

He is now calling on residents to support the bid for Levenshulme and also to begin lobbying the authorities to make other Greater Manchester stations accessible if they are not already.

Nathaniel’s campaign has already attracted some attention from prominent local figures such as Manchester Gorton MP Afzal Khan as well as transport groups in the city-region.

Why is Nathaniel campaigning for extra funding for Levenshulme station?

Nathaniel has been campaigning to make Greater Manchester’s train stations fully accessible for several years now, and has secured a victory after funding was allocated for improvements at Reddish North which he hopes will be done over the coming months.

He has previously taken Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham out and about on the public transport network to show him the issues and has lobbied a number of MPs in the city-region.

However, his efforts to improve Levenshulme station suffered a setback as at one stage money had been promised to make changes but then fell through in circumstances which are somewhat unclear.

Undaunted, Nathaniel is now setting his sights on the latest round for Access For All funding and is urging as many people as possible to support a joint bid to the Government scheme by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and rail operator Northern.

Nathaniel, 28, said: “You can’t even get up to the station at Levenshulme because there are 45 steps. There’s limited space there and it might need a lift putting in.

“Money was promised for it but I’m not entirely sure what happened with it.

“I got told that Reddish North would be reformed but when I asked about when work would be starting at Levenshulme was told we would have to bid under Access For All.

“Levenshulme has missed out before so hopefully it will get the money this time.

“It’s disgraceful that in the 21st century train stations are not accessible.”

A call to the public to help make other stations accessible

Nathaniel says he was told several years ago that of more than 90 stations in Greater Manchester fewer than half were fully accessible to people who were wheelchair users or had walking or mobility impairments.

Making railway stations accessible can include installing lifts that are automatic and give an audible tone when the doors open and close, putting in tactile warning surfaces on staircases and platform edges, building ramps and footbridges with lowered handrails, having open entrances and new ticket gates and having waiting rooms and toilets which disabled passengers can use.

Nathaniel has been spreading the word by doing videos on Twitter and as well as Levenshulme has visited stations including Davenport and Bredbury.

He is now encouraging people across Greater Manchester to follow his example and begin campaigning to upgrade facilities at their local stations.

He said: “I’m encouraging other people to take up this campaign and fight.

“I can’t do it all. We need to keep up the pressure to make other stations accessible and compliant.

“The Equality Act says reasonable adjustments must be made but I’ve heard that if stations aren’t accessible people have been got taxis to the next available one.

“In the long term it’s surely better to invest in stations and install proper wheelchair ramps or lifts to encourage people to use the trains.

“People are being encouraged to get into work but in some cases they can’t even get there. Without this opportunities to go places or socialise or limited.

“It should be accessible for all and a level playing field, and at the moment it’s not.”

Has Nathaniel’s campaign been supported?

Manchester Gorton MP Afzal Khan has spoken out on social media in support of Nathaniel’s campaign.

In response to Nathaniel’s recent video message at Levenshulme station, Mr Khan tweeted that it showed “why we desperately need step free access”.

Mr Khan also promised he would be “collecting letters from local stakeholders in the coming weeks to make the strongest case possible for Levenshulme” in the joint bid by TfGM and Northern.

Anyone wanting to send in letters of support for the accessibility funding should email Mr Khan at [email protected]

What is Access for All?

The government has been running Access for All since 2006 to improve stations for disabled railway users and passengers with mobility issues.

The latest funding for the scheme, keeping it running until at least 2024, was announced in 2018 in the Inclusive Transport Strategy.

When the latest round of projects was announced Network Rail, which maintains the railway infrastructure, admitted that while the improvements were welcome it was still not good enough that disabled travellers or those who struggle with walking still cannot effectively use some stations.

Network Rail said it was very aware that it had “more to do” on inclusion and accessibility across the railway system.