'We live in the 21st century... it needs to improve': The man fighting for change at Greater Manchester's railway stations
“I was running to get the train, I was going to be late for work - I fell down the stairs and grazed my knee,” Nathaniel Yates tells me, recalling a fateful spring morning nearly 10 years ago where he was fortunate not to be badly hurt. “I thought ‘if a ramp or a lift had been there, that wouldn’t have happened."
“I take my time on the stairs because I know I could fall again - but I know so many people who are affected by this issue,” he says. “At night, you think of all the different conditions you might struggle with and the whole environment getting up the stairs. While government funding has been secured for improvements to Reddish North, there are 96 train stations in Greater Manchester and less than half currently have step-free access. Today we are in Woodsmoor - one of the stations waiting to hear whether it will qualify for the latest round of Access for All funding.
However, Nathaniel sees plenty of pitfalls ahead.“Some disabled people and older people don’t have smartphones and will not have an app to get tickets," says Nathaniel. Under the Equality Act, transport providers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled people can use services. And if a station is inaccessible, operators must provide a free alternative service to ‘the next, most convenient, accessible station.’
Simon Elliot, head of rail programme, said that in two years time he expected around 47 pc of stations would still need ‘some sort of intervention’ to make them accessible. But Nathaniel’s passion remains undimmed despite being told in one meeting it could be 2070 before every station in Greater Manchester has step-free access.What Transport for Greater Manchester says Transport for Greater Manchester is responsible for coordinating transport services throughout the city region.
Work will continue at stations on its priority list, ensuring ‘shovel ready’ schemes that can be nominated for further funding opportunities. TfGM also submitted a further Access for All bid to government in September 2022 to make the 11 other priority stations – including Woodsmoor – accessible. Bosses expect to hear the outcome in the spring.
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