Accessibility improvements made at County Durham railway station

Network Rail has completed work on the platforms at Chester-le-Street station in County Durham to make them more accessible, and in doing so it has improved safety and allows more people to travel independently.

During the last three weeks, Network Rail teams have installed over 105 metres of raised tactile paving slabs along the full length of both platforms.

The tactile paving has a textured surface that helps visually impaired passengers to know when they are close to the edge of the platform edge.

his greatly improves safety and gives more people the confidence to travel by train independently.

The new paving is part of a scheme, funded by £10m from the Department for Transport, to install similar tactile surfaces at 200 stations across Britain. In the North East, plans are in place to make similar improvements at three more sites: Newcastle, Cramlington, and Manors.

Sarah Reid, Route Director for Network Rail's East Coast Route, said: “We know that many people rely on tactile paving to use the railway independently, so I'm pleased this work has now completed and will benefit people using Chester-le-Street station.

“Improving accessibility is really important to us, which is why we'll be carrying out similar work at three more stations in the North East, enabling even more people to travel with confidence.”

Kerry Peters, Regional Director for Northern, said: “Our customers are the heart of everything we do, and we are dedicated to making Northern's services accessible to everyone, and to having a positive impact for the north. These improvements will give our customers added confidence when using our services and they are very much welcomed.”

Kevan Jones, MP for North Durham, said: “The right to physical accessibility is the foundation of so many economic, social, civil and political rights. Access to public transport should be delivered on the principle that every disabled person can live a fully independent life. I welcome the measures taken by Network Rail at Chester-le-Street Station and hope to see similar measures put in place across the North-East.”