To say that I am proud is an understatement this morning as I reflect on what the team at West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern railway achieved before going into public ownership this morning (Sunday, February 1st 2026).
Those of you reading this will know that I began working with the operator just over two years ago to improve the accessibility of the rail network they managed for passengers with disabilities or mobility issues.
This all centred around my experience as a rail passenger with a disability when travelling to and from Witton Lane station near Birmingham on match days.
As a massive supporter of Aston Villa football club, I have been travelling to matches by rail for as long as I can remember and until two years ago it was always a challenging experience.
However, on November the 28th, 2023 I met with officials from the operator at Witton where I was able to show them what I and others experienced after matches at the station.
It was at this point where I suggested that they consider trialling waiting spaces and signage on the platforms at the station and it is fair to say that all those in attendance at the meeting liked the idea.
The spaces come in the form of blue and white boxes which feature a white wheelchair logo and the words “ for mobility assistance, please wait here” with signage mirroring the same messaging positioned behind where the spaces are located on the platforms or near to them.
Since early 2024 a number of other stations across the Midlands have seen these accessibility tools installed on the platforms and those stations are;
Aston
Coventry Arena
The Hawthorns
Kenilworth
Lye
Worcester Foregate Street
Worcester Shrub Hill
Telford Central
Selly oak
Shenstone
Blake Street
Erdington
Gravelly Hill
Chester Road
Sutton Coldfield
Wylde Green
Four Oaks
Lichfield City
London Northwestern railway installed the first pieces of signage on the platforms at Tile Hill station in the last few weeks and that meant that this was the first station on the network they managed to receive these new accessibility tools.
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Thank you to the team at West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway for your hard work and dedication during the project in the last couple of years before going into public ownership.
It didn’t go unnoticed and was very much appreciated.
A thank you must go to each and everyone of you my loyal readers and social media followers who continually take the time out of your busy schedules to read my latest posts, again it doesn’t go unnoticed and is very much appreciated.
Cam
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