JustBeingCP

In the last few hours or so I have turned 30 years old, those of you reading this maybe wondering what I wished for so let me explain.

Three years ago I started spending countless hours working with the accessibility team from the rail operator, London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway on a scheme to improve the accessiblity of some of the railway stations they manage across the network for those with mobility issues or disabilities.

As you may know there are over 30 stations across the network with blue and white boxes that feature a white wheelchair logo along with the words ” for mobility assistance, please wait here”

At some of the stations there is signage mirroring the same message as the spaces painted on the platform floor, positioned either directly behind, above or near to where the spaces are on the platforms.

A few months ago I asked the accessibility team if the stations in Ledbury and Colwall in Herefordshire along with those in Great Malvern and Malvern Link in the neighbouring county of Worcestershire could have the ground breaking accessibility tools on the platforms.

There have unfortunately been some been challenges along the way around these stations because of makeup of some of the stations and what infrastructure there currently is to play with.

I have accepted the fact that one of the mentioned stations can only have the tools on one of its two platforms at the station and that is because of the inaccessibility of the platform heading in the direction of the second city, Birmingham for those with mobility issues or disabilities.

However the railway stations in Malvern face completely different challenges due to the stations being classed as grade 2 listed buildings in some cases so it could be impossible for the signage to be attached to the current infrastructure on the platforms at the station’s.

Only time will tell if the spaces are able to become a massive feature of the stations current makeup and this is something that I am both nervous but excited about if it deemed possible by the operator.

Nothing is off the table when it comes to this scheme and that is something I learned when the tools were installed on the platforms at Tile Hill station, near coventry by the operator in the last year or so.

My message to the operator is this, please can you install the the tools on the platforms at the stations in our two beautiful counties so that the wider disabled community can benefit from them and travel by rail with friends or family without the fear of running into difficulties along the way.

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It is only right that I take the opportunity to once again thank the team from the operator for there hard work and dedication towards the scheme and making sure that those with mobility issues and other disabilities are able to travel by rail with ease both now and for many years to come.

Your support in recent times has not gone unnoticed and is as always very much appreciated and always will be.

Finally, thank you to each and everyone of you my regular loyal readers and social media followers who continually take the time out of your busy schedules to read my latest posts, it does not go unnoticed and is of course as always very much appreciated.

Cam