It was great to hear Keir Starmer talk about rail accessibility being a 'basic requirement' following the dreadful experience Tanni Grey-Thompson suffered on an LNER train earlier this week. He was also correct in pointing out that many other people, without Tanni's profile and reach, would have had similar experiences across the UK rail network. … Continue reading Starmer, Rail Accessibility, and Tanni GT
In 2015, Sir Peter Hendy, now Lord Hendy and currently Minister of State for Rail, was appointed as Chair of Network Rail and tasked to conduct a review of the enhancement programme for Control Period 5, which ran from 2014-2019. From the resulting 'Hendy Report' this programme was "prioritised to reflect the government's commitments to … Continue reading A decade of step-free delay
Today, Wednesday 24th July, we met once again with Network Rail and local stakeholders including local Councillors and local MP, Richard Fuller. You can read my previous update from our last meeting in May, which announced a further delay here: https://julianvaughan.blog/2024/05/09/lifts-at-biggleswade-delayed-until-summer-2025/ At the last meeting, we were told that a new quote from the contractor … Continue reading ‘Access for All’ Biggleswade – July 2024 Update
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!
Biggleswade station, located on the East Coast Mainline in Bedfordshire, and a growing commuter town, was awarded 'Access for All' funding in April 2019. Since then the project, now on its fifth Network Rail project lead, has faced several delays and we have moved from a completion date of Summer 2022, to a provisional date … Continue reading Lifts at Biggleswade delayed until Summer 2025
In April 2019 Biggleswade station was awarded 'Access for All' funding to provide lifts at the station. Five years on the much delayed scheme has been delayed yet again, and ironically we were informed of this delay in the same week that Andrew Haines set out how Network Rail, the organisation he has been the … Continue reading An open letter to Network Rail CEO Andrew Haines
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
I will hold a hand up and say that up until a few weeks ago I did not know a great deal about planning conditions and S106 funding agreements. Since then, from delving into the lack of provision of cycle routes in my local area, and potential opportunities to improve their connectivity, I know quite … Continue reading Are planning conditions worth the paper they are written on?
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
Due to the threat of legal action by disability activists and a number of metro mayors, the 21-day consultation window on the Rail Delivery Group's (RDG) proposals to close almost 1,000 ticket offices across the rail network has been extended to 1st September. As of around a week ago, some 170,000 responses to the consultation … Continue reading Ticket Office Closures Q&As
Julian Vaughan 