Helen Morgan presses Government on railway station access improvements
North Shropshire’s MP has pressed the Government on progress making Whitchurch Railway Station accessible after it was finally confirmed this week that Labour had committed money to building step-free stations.
Speaking in Parliament on Thursday (4th September), Helen Morgan told Leader of the House Lucy Powell that the people of Whitchurch needed to know “where and when” improvements would be made.
The intervention comes as it was revealed that £280million will be made available by the Government for station improvement works across the country.
In a written response to a question from Helen on what funding had been set aside, Transport Minister, Simon Lightwood, confirmed the amount for the first time and said the money would be available from April 2026.
The North Shropshire MP has been left exasperated by the Government’s lack of progress after it took the Labour administration more than a year to make an announcement regarding the Access for All programme, only to repeat an announcement made under the previous Conservative government regarding feasibility.
Helen believes funding must now be given so that work can begin at the station as soon possible. The MP has previously met with ministers and Network Rail on the matter and repeatedly raised it in Parliament. Designs for a lift to be installed were drawn up more than a year ago.
It is hoped confirmation will soon be given by the government so that work can proceed on providing access for people with mobility issues, pushchairs or luggage that prevent them from accessing the southbound platform.
As it stands the platform can only be reached by a bridge involving 44 steps, forcing passengers with mobility issues to find alternative ways of travelling towards Shrewsbury and beyond.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Helen called for a statement on how the funding would be allocated, and invited the Leader of the House, Lucy Powell MP, to Whitchurch to see for herself the challenges faced by some people using the station.
Helen Morgan MP said, “There’s an oven-ready plan in place that will open up the railway station to everyone in Whitchurch and the surrounding areas.
“The Government has put the brakes on this plan for too long and just needs to get on with giving it the green signal.
“How much more do we need to do to demonstrate that the community desperately needs this work to be completed? Until the Government listens, I will keep speaking up for Whitchurch and those left out in the cold through a lack of fair access.”
You can sign Helen's Whitchurch Station petition here.