Report calls for better access to Wellington Railway Station
A report that recommends a range of measures to improve access to Wellington Railway Station – and has urged the government to provide funding to achieve that has been welcomed by Telford & Wrekin Council.
The report commissioned by Telford & Wrekin Council and Wellington Town Council following concerns raised by users of the station.
It has been produced by Better Access UK, an independent access auditing consultancy, with the help of Listen not Label, a local voluntary sector group run by disabled people.
Wellington has benefited from recent investment that saw the relocation of the bus station next to the rail station.
However, the report says access to the station ticket office and platforms remain a problem, particularly for those with mobility impairments.
It highlights the need for accessible toilets and better signage at the station as well as reinforcing the need for a bridge linking the bus and rail stations and lifts for both platforms.
The bridge and lift scheme is expected to cost about £1.5m but has so far missed out on government funding which recently allocated £37.5m for upgrades of this nature to stations across the country.
While the report identifies a number of smaller scale improvements that can be considered for funding from local budgets, the lift and bridge scheme requires significant capital funding that will have to be obtained from national sources of rail funding.
Councillor Hilda Rhodes, Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet member for Transport and Community Protection, said: “Telford & Wrekin Council and Wellington Town Council commissioned the access report as part of the ongoing commitment to the improvement of facilities at the station.
“The report reinforces the campaigning for improvements to the station by local ward member Councillor Mike Ion.
“We welcome the report and will use it to work with London Midland and Network Rail to fight for government funding to improve access to the station.”
