MP fights for equal access to Bredbury Station

1.04.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 5th Mar 2008

Andrew Stunell with Melissa Anderson and campaigners

Melissa Anderson and a group of her disabled friends in Bredbury have got massive backing in the local community for their campaign for safe access to Bredbury Station. Now local MP has stepped in to push their case to the railway authorities.

The four are all wheel-chair users, and because it is currently impossible for mobility impaired travellers to get from one platform to the other at their nearest station, they have to make a two mile detour to Romiley if they want to make a train journey.

Ms Anderson said

"This journey is not always practical as there is a very steep hill which my electric wheel-chair isn't capable of undertaking. If I want to go I have to be manually pushed up this hill depending on the support staff which are available. This journey takes an extra 30 minutes."

Mr Stunell has been pressing the case for improvements at Bredbury for over a year with Northern Rail, which runs the train service, and Network Rail, who are responsible for the station, but was told budgets were too tight to carry out work there. Now reinforced with a residents' petition with over a hundred signatures he is having another go.

The local MP said:

"When the original Act was passed railways got an exemption. That has left companies with an excuse, and projects to improve access are going ahead at a snails pace.

"My congratulations to Ms Anderson and other local residents for giving the campaign to get Bredbury sorted out a real boost.

"I have been fighting for these improvements for some time and I will continue to do so until the changes are made."

ENDS