Rail passengers including disabled people to benefit from pledge to close train platform gap

Rail passengers including disabled people to benefit from pledge to close train platform gap EXCLUSIVE: Disabled people, pregnant women and other commuters will have easier and safer rail journeys under plans to close the gap between trains and platforms Disabled people, parents with buggies and other commuters will have easier and safer rail journeys under plans to close the gap between trains and platforms. Under a newly announced strategy for the Government to purchase trains, publicly-run trains will aim to have level boarding as standard to improve accessibility. This could mean purchasing trains that are the same height as platforms on particular routes, or ensuring trains have automatic platforms to bridge the gap at the door. The move is part of Great British Railways' focus on improving accessibility, with hopes that the plans will benefit millions of passengers from disabled people and older passengers, to parents with pushchairs and those carrying luggage. In most cases, the plans are not expected to add any significant costs towards the trains, as they will be designed to provide unassisted level boarding at standard Network Rail platform heights, from the outset. At Labour's annual conference in Liverpool, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander on Monday said the Government will consider public-ownership of trains rather than leasing. She also announced that Avanti West Coast services will be nationalised from March next year. The Government is investing £280million in step-free access through the Access for All programme, with over 30 schemes now underway across England, Scotland and Wales. This builds on last year's Roadmap to an Accessible Railway, which set out improvements to day-to-day travel for passengers needing assistance ahead of GBR's establishment. Ms Alexander said: “Great British Railways trains will be level boarding by default. Everyone should be able to travel on the train easily, and we are making that a reality with level boarding as the baseline expectation for new trains under Great British Railways. "This is just one way we are returning our railways to the service of passengers." Rebecca Horne, Head of Comms and Campaigns at Pregnant Then Screwed, said: "We're pleased to see the Government taking action to improve transport accessibility. Every parent should be able to get to work, childcare and essential services without facing unnecessary barriers. We know when transport isn't accessible, reliable or affordable, families pay the price. "Parents are forced to turn down jobs, miss appointments, struggle to access childcare and face higher costs just to get from A to B. And parents of disabled children face some of the biggest barriers, making an already challenging balancing act even harder. This is an important step forward, but there is more work to do." James Barber, Interim CEO at Transport for All, said: “Our railways should connect us with the people and places that matter, and give us the freedom to say yes to opportunities and enjoy our lives. But for many disabled people, the gap between the platform edge and the train is a barrier between us and where we want to be. "The Government’s commitment to level boarding on new trains on Great British Railways is a welcome step towards breaking those barriers down. We hope it is a sign that a public railway, run in the interests of its passengers, will be serious about tackling accessibility failures that have been allowed to persist for too long." [Image text:] Cycle Hub &Buffet Platform 1srs Lift Way out