The Access for All (AfA) programme was launched in 2006 by the Department for Transport to address the issues faced by disabled passengers and passengers facing mobility restraints when using railway stations in England, Scotland or Wales.
As part of the Department for Transport's latest round of nominations for the AfA programme, a total of 310 nominations were received from Network Rail, train operating companies (TOCs) and other strategic transport organisations such as combined authorities.
The nominations were assessed against the following criteria:
- annual footfall – targeting busier stations gives better value for money and benefits the most disabled passengers, ORR footfall figures were weighted by the incidence of disability in the area using 2011 Census data
- rail industry priorities – TOCs were asked to consult with MPs, disability groups and local authorities, to ensure stakeholders’ support, before ranking their nominations
- availability of third-party funding – this helps to weight business cases but also demonstrates a commitment to the project by third parties
- local factors – this could include proximity to a hospital or a station with a high proportion of interchange passengers
- geographical location – the weighted footfall was compared against others nominated by the same TOC and against those within the same region rather than nationally to ensure a fair geographical spread across the country and to create more accessible entry points onto the network
- confirmed support of the local MP
The £350 million to fund even more station projects was confirmed when HS2 funding was reallocated.
🚆 I'm thrilled to say that Thirsk has once again made the list of stations selected for funding which means capital works can be taken forward, allowing the lifts to be installed. Funding for this stage will be in the region of £3m to £4m, in addition to the £1m awarded previously.
Having worked on the bid for the improvements with North Yorkshire Council and TransPennine Express for years (see picture from 2019), I'm pleased Thirsk residents will now have the improvements they need given the increasing demands on the station.
