Step-free access at some Bristol stations still years away

Despite years of promises, plans to make all of Bristol’s stations fully accessible remain a distant hope that is reliant on ever competitive funding streams.

While work is underway to renovate Temple Meads and open the first new stations in the city for decades, there remain stops along the region’s routes that have no or limited step-free access, making planning journeys for disabled passengers and others a daily gauntlet.

Parson Street, Lawrence Hill, Stapleton Road and Weston-super-Mare are among those that are still not fully accessible while, further afield, major stations such as Cheltenham have limited access for people with mobility issues.

The impact on disabled passengers – and others who need step-free access – is significant, with one campaigner saying he regularly has to go past his stop and then double back due to the lack of access.

Despite the urgency of the situation, plans to improve accessibility at Bristol’s stations won’t come to fruition until 2027 at the earliest and beyond 2032 for some – and that’s if funding can be secured.

Dave Redgewell says he has to plan every journey in advance because of the lack of accessibility at some stations – photo: Ellie Pipe

Dave Redgewell, a transport campaigner and trustee of Bristol Disability Equality Forum, says it’s encouraging that all new stations being built in the city region will be fully accessible – but there is still a long way to go.

“What needs sorting out is the fact that we will have a system where a number of stations on the route are not accessible,” he tells Bristol24/7.

“I have to plan every journey. For example, if I’m going to Lawrence Hill from Cheltenham or Gloucester, I can’t get off at Lawrence Hill [which has steep steps on one side] so I have to go to Temple Meads and then travel back.

“I cannot change at Stapleton Road to get on a train to Severn Beach because it’s not fully accessible.

“It’s very bad that we still don’t have lifts at places like Weston – we have been promised lifts for years.”

………………………………….

Read more: Lawrence Hill station one step closer to becoming step-free

………………………………….

Lawrence Hill and Parson Street are among 300 stations nominated for a share of the government’s ‘Access for All’ funding pot designated to make improvements to existing infrastructure.

An outline design has been drawn up for Lawrence Hill, with an “aspiration” to make it fully accessible by 2027, while outline designs for Weston have been completed and are expected to move to a more detailed phase soon, but there is no timeline for when the work might actually take place here.

The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) says the ambition is to use round two of the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) to improve accessibility at Parson Street and “potentially one other station”, meaning they would need to be complete before 2032. However, this won’t be confirmed until the CRSTS2 bid process has been reviewed and approved, which is not likely to happen until 2026 or 2027.

Lawrence Hill and Parson Street are among 300 stations nominated for a share of the government’s ‘Access for All’ funding pot designated to make improvements to existing infrastructure – photo: Ellie Pipe

A Network Rail spokesperson said: “We’re working alongside our partners to progress plans for accessibility improvements at local stations including Lawrence Hill and are jointly applying for additional funding to take these plans forward.

“The West of England Combined Authority currently has approved funding for an outline design at Lawrence Hill station through the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement fund.

“Alongside this, the Department for Transport (DfT) is assessing over 300 new station nominations for Access for All funding between 2024 and 2029, which includes the nominations for Parson Street and Lawrence Hill stations. The outcome of this assessment is expected before the end of Spring 2024.

“The DfT are aware that the West of England Combined Authority has funded the design elements at Lawrence Hill, which should aid in the application receiving more funding to take the design forward, with an aspiration to provide step free access at the station by 2027.”

Metro mayor Dan Norris says all new stations will be fully accessible – photo: WECA

Commenting on planned improvements, metro mayor Dan Norris, who leads WECA, said: “The new Parkway station is fully step free while the other new stations funded by my multi-million-pound programme of rail improvements will all be fully accessible.”

WECA bosses say they are working on developing a full business case to deliver the detailed design and construction works needed at Lawrence Hill, with the hope work will be completer by March 2027.

The WECA MetroWest Portishead and Henbury line programmes, which include construction of five new stations, will all be fully accessible stations with step-free access.

Read next:

• ‘Access to transport and high streets should be a right for all, not a daily gauntlet’
• Progress on new ‘gateway to Bristol’
• Henbury’s new railway station could open as soon as 2024

Listen to the latest Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast: