<p>Earlier today, we attended a site visit to the lift works at Biggleswade railway station. This site visit was hosted by Network Rail and apart from members of the Bedfordshire Rail Access Network team, was attended by local Town Councillors, Central Bedfordshire Councillors, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) representatives and our local MP Richard Fuller. Below &hellip; <a href="https://julianvaughan.blog/2025/07/23/biggleswade-lifts-update-23rd-july-2025/" class="more-link"

<p>*This blog, written on 26th June, has been updated on 27th June to comment on the concessions/U-Turn made by the government. Solidarity with the 100-plus Labour MPs who are taking a stand against the government to support the most vulnerable people in our communities. I can confirm that if I were in their position, I &hellip; <a href="https://julianvaughan.blog/2025/06/26/who-is-holding-labours-moral-compass/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-t

<p>A post on why we should all be concerned about the Labour government&#8217;s commitment to an accessible rail network. Below is a list of the 50 stations selected for &#8216;Access for All&#8217; (A4A) funding in May 2024 by the last Conservative government. If we look at the number of stations nominated for &#8216;Access for All&#8217; &hellip; <a href="https://julianvaughan.blog/2025/06/20/which-way-now-for-rail-accessibility-under-labour/" class="more-link">Continue rea

<p>While I have always been to the ‘left’ in politics, I’ve always been prepared to work across political divides for the benefit of local communities and I am in fairly regular contact with a number of Independent Councillors who are both effective and diligent in representing their individual wards. I have no political axe to &hellip; <a href="https://julianvaughan.blog/2025/04/14/the-state-of-independents/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text

<p>The glacial progress of the &#8216;Access for All&#8217; scheme means that at the current rate of progress, the UK rail network won&#8217;t be accessible for around 100 years. This highlights the culture within government and the rail industry, which views accessibility as a favour rather than a fundamental right. Listen to any politician or rail &hellip; <a href="https://julianvaughan.blog/2025/03/28/the-future-for-rail-accessibility/" class="more-link">Continue reading <

<p>I have just come out of a fairly short meeting with Network Rail to discuss the latest progress towards a step-free Biggleswade station. Thankfully It was a short meeting due to no major issues being reported. One previous area of concern was the ground conditions in the area where the lifts are to be located. &hellip; <a href="https://julianvaughan.blog/2025/03/17/biggleswade-lifts-update-17-03-25/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Biggl

<p>Below is an email sent on 27th January to the Leader of Central Bedfordshire Council and the Executive member for Finance and Highways regarding their use of the government&#8217;s cash boost to fix our roads, the intention of which is to reduce their contribution to the Highways budget by the amount of extra funding provided &hellip; <a href="https://julianvaughan.blog/2025/01/27/an-open-letter-to-cbc-re-highways-budget/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="sc

<p>The settlement by the owners of &#8216;The Sun&#8217; to avoid their grubby practices being picked through in court calls into question the truthfulness of evidence given under oath by their senior executives, many of whom are still in positions of power today. The need for a Leveson 2 Inquiry has never been clearer. The print &hellip; <a href="https://julianvaughan.blog/2025/01/24/the-case-for-leveson-2-is-stronger-than-ever/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span clas

<p>Despite many promises over the years, drivers and cyclists in the Central Bedfordshire area will be fully aware of the continuing very poor condition of our roads. Road markings seem to be regarded as an optional extra from a bygone age, and when road defects are reported by the public, via the potentially brilliant but &hellip; <a href="https://julianvaughan.blog/2025/01/22/potholes-in-the-cbc-budget/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">(P

<p>In what is the 16th update I have posted regarding the provision of step-free access at Biggleswade railway station, I&#8217;m cautiously optimistic that at long last the town will have a station accessible to all, perhaps by the end of this year. In my last update, posted on 25th November, I mentioned there were two &hellip; <a href="https://julianvaughan.blog/2025/01/14/biggleswade-lifts-update-14-01-25/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text

<p>This afternoon we met with Network Rail to discuss the latest news on the scheme to install lifts at Biggleswade station. This project, awarded funding in 2019, has been subject to many frustrating delays, with costs escalating and the completion date slipping ever backward. My last update on 7th September was unable to provide any &hellip; <a href="https://julianvaughan.blog/2024/11/25/biggleswade-lifts-update-25-11-24/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="scr

This afternoon we met with Network Rail to discuss the latest news on the scheme to install lifts at Biggleswade station. This project,...

As Chair of the ‘Bedfordshire Rail Access Network’, I was recently contacted by Network Rail as part of a public consultation into...

<p>As Chair of the &#8216;Bedfordshire Rail Access Network&#8217;, I was recently contacted by Network Rail as part of a public consultation into replacing the (inaccessible) station footbridge at Harlington station in Bedfordshire. Harlington station has four platforms, only two of these are scheduled for use by passenger trains and both of these are inaccessible due &hellip; <a href="https://julianvaughan.blog/2024/11/15/step-free-and-appendix-b/" class="more-link">Continue

<p>One hundred and eighty-nine years on from when the station first opened, it is time that Hexham railway station was accessible to everyone. We cannot keep blaming the Victorians for our inaccessible rail network, and with Hexham station being one of the busiest on the Tyne Valley line, we believe that it&#8217;s time for lifts &hellip; <a href="https://julianvaughan.blog/2024/09/24/lifts-for-hexham-station-q-a/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader

One hundred and eighty-nine years on from when the station first opened, it is time that Hexham railway station was accessible to...

<p>This is a blog covering the status of the UK railway stations provided with &#8216;Access for All&#8217; (AfA) funding to provide step-free access. The &#8216;Access for All&#8217; funding programme aims to provide an accessible route onto and between railway station platforms and was launched in 2006. Since its launch, step-free routes have been provided at &hellip; <a href="https://julianvaughan.blog/2024/09/10/uk-railways-access-for-all-audit/" class="more-link">Continu

This is a blog covering the status of the UK railway stations provided with ‘Access for All’ (AfA) funding to provide step-free access....

<p>On Wednesday 4th September we had the latest meeting with Network Rail regarding progress (or lack of it) towards a step-free Biggleswade station. The last meeting took place on 24th July and you can read a full update from that meeting here: <a href="http://julianvaughan.blog/2024/07/24/access-for-all-biggleswade-july-2024-update/">http://julianvaughan.blog/2024/07/24/access-for-all-biggleswade-july-2024-update/</a> In brief at the previous meeting we were told that the n

On Wednesday 4th September we had the latest meeting with Network Rail regarding progress (or lack of it) towards a step-free Biggleswade...