Network Rail is to install new lifts at Anniesland station in the West End of Glasgow to improve the station's accessibility.
The lifts will improve access for people with impaired mobility, or travelling with luggage, children, or bicycles. They are to be installed at street level on either side of the railway bridge on Great Western Road, but will not replace the existing footbridge over the platforms, which level will remain.
Installation is set to start in September and will include removing the current advertising hoardings, installing two lift towers and associated equipment, and a path to connect the lifts to each platform.
As well as providing direct access to the station platforms from Great Western Road, a brighter and more recognisable access point will be created to improve the exterior of the station, but no changes are proposed to the stair entrances on either side of the underbridge.
The works are supported by the government's Access for All scheme, as the Department for Transport identified that the station would benefit from the funding. Although the work does not require a planning application, Network Rail submitted a notification for prior approval to Glasgow City Council.
In a letter submitted with their notice, Network Rail stated that the street-level lift entrance would have a glazed canopy, an illuminated vertical concrete plinth sign with the station name, and be offset from the pavement. Careful consideration has been made to the works' visual impact, including using red and grey bricks to tie in with the existing structure.
Completion is expected by next summer, and nearby residents will receive letters outlining key dates and milestones. Before the work starts, Network Rail will hold a public information event to give anyone interested the chance to ask questions of the project team. That will be held from 4 pm – 7 pm on Tuesday, 15th August at Netherton Community Centre, Netherton Road, Glasgow, G13 1AX.
Anniesland is one of six Access for All schemes funded by the Department for Transport in Scotland during the last five years, with Croy and Johnstone completed last year and Port Glasgow in progress.
Michael McArthur, Network Rail's project manager for the accessibility work, said: “The lifts being installed at the station deliver modern standards of access for those travelling to or from Anniesland daily and will improve the travelling experience for passengers.
“The new lifts and linkspan will help everyone in the community access services at Anniesland station easily as part of our efforts to enable even more people to travel by train.
“Delivering step-free access at stations to open up our network is one important way in which we are improving the overall experience of travelling on Scotland's railway”.
