Network Rail has revealed plans to improve accessibility for passengers at Uddingston station in South Lanarkshire.
It will build a new footbridge, which will be accessed by a staircase and lift at each end. This will provide step-free access, making getting to and from the platforms easier for people with impaired mobility or who are travelling with luggage, children or bicycles.
The footbridge will constructed from steel, and will be uncovered. It will be located around twenty-five metres west of the existing footbridge, which will be removed once the new one is installed.
The government's Access for All scheme – a UK-wide programme to enhance accessibility to public transport – is supporting this work. Transport Scotland, on behalf of the Department for Transport, identified Uddingston as a station in need of accessibility improvements.
In a letter accompanying its notice requesting South Lanarkshire Council's prior approval for the work, Network Rail stated that it had given careful consideration to the positioning, construction and design of the footbridge, and the impact of the building work on parking.
After considering other options, Network Rail chose this proposal because the structure has a smaller footprint on the station platform, which means that passengers have a shorter route.
The work is scheduled to begin in November and to be finished within twelve months. Network Rail will deliver letters to people living nearby giving key dates and milestones during the project.
Network Rail is attempting to set up an information event before the work starts, giving interested people the opportunity to directly question the project team, and will make event details available in the coming weeks.
Network Rail's role in the Access for All programme is, and to introduce an unobstructed, accessible route from at least one station entrance (and all drop-off points associated with that entrance), to each platform and between platforms used by passenger trains.
Uddingston station is one of six Access for All schemes funded by the Department for Transport in Scotland during the last five years. Work at Croy and Johnstone stations was completed in 2022, and work at Port Glasgow station is currently underway. However, Transport Scotland revealed in 2020 that of Scotland's 360 stations, 133 (37%) had step-free access to all platforms; 184 (51%) had partial step-free access; and 43 (12%) did not have step-free access to any platform.
Michael McArthur, Network Rail's project manager for the accessibility work, said: “The new footbridge and lifts being installed at the station deliver modern standards of access for those travelling to or from Uddingston.
“Our proposals will help everyone in the community access services at Uddingston station easily and will improve the travelling experience for passengers 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”.
Why
if you use platform 1 or 2 you can use the pavement
Easy solution put in another ticket box on platform 2
Its not just about wheelchair users. Access from the car park to the other side of the tracks is very taxing for those with reduced mobility. That’s why!
Thank goodness, from a wheelchair user x