because better accessibility will benefit a lot of people
We spoke with Anne at the opening of a new lift at Irlam rail station, improving accessibility for passengers. The installation was part of the Access for All programme, to provide step-free access at rail stations.
You can read a transcript of our full chat with Anne below.
What was station like before the lifts?
"When I was a little girl, we used to use the station a lot. Saturday, we'd go into Manchester and I used to go to Sheffield a lot.
"So I always used the train to go to Piccadilly and get a train to Sheffield.
"But these days I can't use the train because I'm in a wheelchair. There’s just no way I could get on a train.
"So it's going to be very convenient. My daughter uses the train a lot to come and visit me. She's in her 70s and she found it hard doing the stairs."
What difference will the new lifts make for you?
"It will allow me to go and visit my daughter in Birchwood and to go to the shops there.
"We can also go to Warrington and do our shopping, which will be really good because I've not been able to do it for a lot of years, so that will be great.
"It is going to be very beneficial to a lot of people."
Why is step-free access important?
"Because a lot of people will get out of the district, which is great because people feel more alive when they can go and visit different areas, you know.
"In the summer it will be great to have a lift so you can get out and go to more places, which will be lovely.
"And the idea is making transport accessible for everybody.
"Everybody, not just me, for everybody.
"And there's a lot of people, like me, in a wheelchair that are not able to go to different shopping areas.
"You just can find to your own local shops which is great to get out and it does you good as well.
"So it is really good."
Why is it important to make transport accessible to everybody?
"Because there's a lot of people that have breathing problems and going up and down stairs effects them, whereas if they haven't got that to do and just getting away, it will help them to breathe when all right, when they get on the station.
"And plus there's people with walking sticks.
"There's all kind of disabilities, not just people in wheelchairs.
"So it will benefit a lot of people, and it will be great."
Watch the video with Anne at the launch of the new lift at Irlam station
More information
Funding
The improvements - funded by the Department for Transport’s Access for All scheme and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) – are part of a collaborative effort between Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), Northern, TransPennine Express (TPE) and Network Rail.
