Teresa has written to Transport Secretary Philip Hammond about the lack of disabled access at Erith Station and urged him to take action.
People who use wheelchairs or who have other mobility disabilities who travel to London from Erith must take a train travelling in the opposite direction through Slade Green to Dartford station where there is lift access. They must then get the lift up to a different platform and travel back in the direction they have come from towards London. This adds at least 25-30 minutes to their journey time.
Having already raised the lack of lift access at the station with Southeastern Trains and Network Rail, Teresa has now urged the Transport Secretary to take action. His department is responsible for selecting and prioritising stations for accessibility enhancements and Teresa has urged him to add Erith Station to the Government’s ‘step free access’ programme list.
Teresa said:
“It is completely wrong that some disabled people in Erith have to travel 15 minutes in the wrong direction until they can find a station with a lift and go back towards London. It adds around half an hour to each journey and no doubt makes it even harder to access jobs and opportunities in central London.
“The simple addition of a lift to give disabled access to the platform for London-bound trains would make a huge difference to their everyday lives. I hope the Transport Secretary will see sense on this issue and put Erith on the list for accessibility improvements.”
Teresa has started an online campaign on FixMyTransport to get a lift put in at the station. To show you support click here.
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