On 24th May the Department for Transport announced the railway stations set to benefit from the latest round of 'Access for All' (AfA) funding for Control Period 7 which runs from 2024-2029. Having been part of the campaign group, I was delighted to see Leagrave station on the list. However, the £350 million allocated for … Continue reading Can we afford not to have an accessible railway?
As a campaigner for rail accessibility, a train driver and a proud member of the ASLEF union, I am delighted that yesterday ASLEF adopted the motion which I wrote for debate at ASLEF's Annual Assembly of Delegates (AAD), which means that supporting improved rail accessibility on the UK rail network is now official ASLEF policy. … Continue reading ASLEF union backs UK rail accessibility!
There is much to unpack from yesterday's House of Commons Public Accounts Committee hearing discussing UK rail reform. The Committee heard from the top brass in Network Rail and the Department for Transport (DfT) about their plans to transform the governance of the UK railways, primarily through the Great British Railways transformation team - although … Continue reading Actions not words needed on rail accessibility
The 'Access for All' scheme to improve the accessibility of the UK's train stations was introduced in 2006. To date, it has enabled around 200 stations to become step-free as well as providing other smaller-scale improvements to many more stations. Funding for the rail network is broken down into Control Periods and every five years … Continue reading Access for All – mind the equality gap
Following my research into how funding received from housing developers is spent in our communities, I posted The secret world of S106 funding blog on my social media. Of course, while social media can be a useful tool, it is no substitute for actually getting in touch with the decision makers directly. As the planning … Continue reading S106 Funding – an open letter to Central Beds Council
One of the most frequent issues that came up on the doorstep while campaigning during the Mid Bedfordshire by-election was the number of housing developments lacking associated infrastructure. Having walked around numerous housing estates over the last few months it seems that developers are permitted to lazily lob in a generic play area and completely … Continue reading The secret world of S106 funding
On the 5th of July, the Rail Delivery Group announced a 21-day consultation exercise regarding their proposals to close just short of 1,000 ticket offices across the country. In their rush to push these proposals through, it seems they did not have time to discuss their proposals with either the Office of Road and Rail … Continue reading Ticket Office closures – the truth behind the spin
Earlier today the Bedfordshire Rail Access Network (BRAN) team met with Network Rail, Richard Fuller MP, town and district Councillors and Govia Thameslink Railway to discuss the latest on the step-free project and the transport hub. The previous meeting took place on 3rd February and you can read a summary of that meeting here: https://julianvaughan.blog/2023/02/05/step-free-project-hits-the-buffers/ … Continue reading Biggleswade Station Update – 15th May
Since we first started campaigning for step-free access at Biggleswade station I have sat in numerous meetings to discuss the many issues that have needed to be resolved. Without a doubt, Friday's meeting with Network Rail, Govia Thameslink Railway, Richard Fuller MP and Central Bedfordshire Council was the most disappointing meeting I have attended to … Continue reading Step-free project hits the buffers
Yesterday afternoon, representatives from Bedfordshire Rail Access Network (BRAN) met with Network Rail, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), Richard Fuller MP and Biggleswade Town Council officers to discuss the progress towards step-free access at the station and the long-awaited toilet facilities. The main points discussed at today's meeting are set out below. If you have any … Continue reading Biggleswade Station Update – 16th November 2022
Julian Vaughan 