TransPennine Express are undertaking major improvement work at Dewsbury Station.
The project is in conjunction with Kirklees Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
With a joint total investment of £350k from the TransPennine Express Customer and Communities Improvement Fund with £105k of that coming from the Transforming Cities funding contribution from Kirklees Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
The transformative works will include installation of male and female toilets along with a Changing Places facility which will be situated on platform 2 in a separate building alongside the station and also an additional waiting shelter which will be added to Platform 1 to provide a dry waiting area for customers during poor weather as they await the new longer five carriage Nova trains which call at the station.
A Changing Places facility is different from a standard accessible toilet because it includes an adult size, height adjustable changing bench along with an integrated hoist system and plenty of space for a disabled person and up to two carers and will provide people with mobility limiting disabilities more confidence to travel as they can access the facility.
The work began to install the facilities on Monday the 19th of July and should be completed and ready for customers to use from September 2021.
Andrew Croughan, TransPennine Express Station Manager for Dewsbury said: “I'm delighted that we are offering these modern facilities to rail users at Dewsbury, which not only provide more comfortable waiting spaces, but for the first time in many years toilets for our customers, and a Changing Place for some of our vulnerable customers. I am proud that we will be able to improve our customer offering, and hopefully make using the station, and the rail network, more comfortable.
“These works will no doubt require a level of disruption, that we will obviously try to keep to a minimum, as we balance the safe operation of the station alongside these much-welcomed improvements.”
Councillor Eric Firth, Cabinet Member for Town Centres, of Kirklees Council added: “These improvements will make a big difference to anyone using the station. The modernisation of the station is in line with our ambitious plans for the regeneration of Dewsbury town centre. This work complements the improvements to walking and cycling provision that Kirklees Council have recently completed. I look forward to seeing the continued improvement of the town centre.”
Cllr Kim Groves, Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority's Transport Committee said:“I am so pleased to see these improvements being made to Dewsbury Rail Station, which will make such a difference for people travelling on the rail network. It is so important for our stations across West Yorkshire to have modern, high quality facilities to make them places that are attractive and comfortable places to be and improve people's experiences of travelling by rail, and our Transforming Cities Fund programme will make this possible across the region”
“We know enabling more people to travel sustainably will be key to us achieving our aim of becoming a net zero carbon economy by 2038.”
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