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 the budget for accessibility improvements is set, and in what is a bit of a bun fight, funding is allocated to successful bids. Below is a short blog, drawn from an ‘X’ (Twitter) thread, initially covering issues around a puzzling Parliamentary written answer from Huw Merriman, Minister of State for Transport, followed by a discussion on what level of funding is required to make our rail network accessible and why we need it.
Having campaigned for a more accessible rail network for some years, a recent written answer given to Alistair Strathern Mid Bedfordshire’s newly elected MP from Huw Merriman, Minister of State for Transport regarding step-free access at Flitwick station raised an eyebrow.
The Minister of State for Transport seems unaware that funding for step-free access at Flitwick station was announced in Rishi Sunak’s March 2020 budget. The relevant excerpt from the budget’s ‘red book’ is below. Flitwick was one of the 12 stations as announced by Network Rail in a press release the following day: https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/four-stations-on-southern-and-thameslink-routes-in-the-south-to-benefit-from-network-rail-delivered-accessibility-improvements
Excerpt from Rishi Sunak’s March 2020 budget ‘red book’ page 79. Full link here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5e68d0dce90e070ac74f08ea/Budget_2020_Web_Accessible_Complete.pdf
but it gets even more confusing as Huw Merriman’s answer refers to the recent ‘Network North’ announcement (set out below) which confirmed that £350 million will be made available to improve accessibility at our train stations.
Excerpt (page 33) from the Department for Transport’s ‘Network North’ plan. Full link here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65294b416b6fbf0014b75641/network-north-transforming-british-transport.pdf
However, looking down the page to footnote 49, it states that the £350 million of accessibility improvements will be funded “through existing budgets”. So it seems that the ‘benefits’ from the axing of HS2 to Manchester will not benefit accessibility on our rail network as this funding is from budgets that already exist.
It then gets even more confusing about exactly where this £350 million funding is from, as it happens to be the exact amount of the funding for ‘Access for All’ improvements in Network Rail’s previous Control Period 6 2019-2024 – set out below as the ‘Main Programme 2019-2024’, so £300m + the £50m announced in the March 2020 budget discussed earlier.
Table taken from Section 8 of the DfT’s Inclusive Transport Strategy, November 2020. Full link here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inclusive-transport-strategy/the-inclusive-transport-strategy-achieving-equal-access-for-disabled-people#improving-physical-infrastructure
So is the Minister of State for Transport referring to the previous Control Period’s budget for 2019-2024, or has he just inadvertently announced the ‘Access for All’ funding amount for CP7 2024-2029?
Perhaps we’ll find out more in the Chancellor’s Statement. Either way, it’s unlikely that investment in step-free access will be enough to ensure a fully accessible railway by 2030. As the excellent research by the Leonard Cheshire charity shows, this will require a significant increase to current levels of funding. It’s clear that the government does not see an accessible rail network as a priority – displayed by their stance on ticket office closures, a stance only reversed by a huge public outcry.
Infographic from Leonard Cheshire Campaigns report ‘Get on Board 2020’. Link to the full report here: https://www.leonardcheshire.org/sites/default/files/2020-12/Get-on-Board-2020-policy-report.pdf
It’s also disappointing, although perhaps revealing of the corporate culture towards accessibility, that the Office of Rail and Road is not setting any success measures for accessibility in Control Period 7, a decision ‘Transport for All’ found “very disappointing”.
Excerpt from ORR PR 23 Final Determination for Control Period 7, October 2023. Full report here: https://www.orr.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2023-11/05-pr23-final-determination-consolidated-list-of-decisions_1.pdf
Of course, accessibility isn’t just about step-free access. We need adequately staffed stations, trains that are fit for purpose and seamless links between different modes of public transport. It is clear that the current legal framework is not delivering for disabled people and inclusive transport is still seen as a favour, not as a right.
If we really want to ‘level up’ the UK, putting in place a legal framework for a fully accessible railway is a good place to start. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it also makes financial sense as it assists disabled people to live independently and access work.
Finally, the railway industry must include disabled people at every stage, from design until completion – not just as a ‘tick box’ exercise. We can then look forward to a railway that everyone can use and of which we can all be proud.
Julian Vaughan
20th November 2023
Links and further reading:
Leonard Cheshire ‘Get on Board 2020 – making the economic case for “levelling up” inclusive transport.’ https://www.leonardcheshire.org/sites/default/files/2020-12/Get-on-Board-2020-policy-report.pdf
Flitwick Station: Step-Free Access Westminster Hall Debate 24th July 2019: https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2019-07-24/debates/66FEC1B3-60C0-4F49-A787-24ADB77230E1/FlitwickStationStep-FreeAccess
The Economic Benefits of Access for All, Stear Davies Gleave 2014: https://uk.steergroup.com/insights/news/access-all-benefit-research-report-released
Network North: Transforming British Transport: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65294b416b6fbf0014b75641/network-north-transforming-british-transport.pdf
The Future of Rail, House of Commons Library August 2022: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8961/
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