When I first stood for election in North Shropshire, one issue came up on almost every doorstep in Whitchurch: the steps at the railway station.
Forty-four steps may not seem like much for those without accessibility needs. But for others, the physical barrier effectively bars them from half of the trains serving the station – and from major parts of the county, and country.
Thinking of travelling south to the county town of Shrewsbury? Maybe you’re wanting to visit the UK’s second city of Birmingham. Or perhaps you simply want to exit the station into town after arriving from the north. Think again. For many, a steep footbridge makes any or all of those scenarios impossible.
Disabled residents, older people, parents with prams, cyclists, those hauling heavy luggage. All of them disproportionately disadvantaged, unable to reach employment or education opportunities, or to see family and friends. Public transport should be the great equaliser, yet in rural Britain it too often reinforces inequality. And Whitchurch is an example of how successive governments have failed to prioritise accessibility outside our cities.
After years of campaigning, designs for a lift were completed 18 months ago under the Access for All scheme. Network Rail even designated the project ‘high priority’ for delivery in their ‘Control Period 7’. The hard work was done. Then came the election, and the new Labour government hit pause.
Ministers promised £373 million for accessibility upgrades over five years, and recently confirmed £280 million will be available from April 2026 for station improvements. But Whitchurch is still waiting to find out whether it has made the list of stations set to benefit – and when any work will start.
This isn’t just about convenience. It’s about fairness, opportunity, and growth. One constituent told me how, after developing a severe neurological condition, they had to drive 17 miles to Crewe station, to get the train to reach a specialist hospital in London. That’s 17 miles along rural roads riddled with potholes, because their local station was inaccessible. Others simply give up on rail altogether. Once you’ve driven 30 miles to find a step-free station, you may as well drive the rest of the way. That defeats the whole purpose of public transport and undermines our climate goals.
The economic impact is real too. Whitchurch is Shropshire’s oldest continuously occupied town – a gem for visitors. Improving station access would boost tourism, bring customers to local businesses, and help employers to fill vacancies. Yet rural areas like North Shropshire are consistently de-prioritised. Investment flows into mayoral combined authorities while market towns are left behind. If the Government truly wants to stimulate growth across the whole country, it must start by ensuring everyone can reach the railway.
The criteria currently guiding accessibility upgrades are outdated and urban-centric. A 2015 code of practice suggests stations with fewer than 1,000 daily passengers don’t need lifts if there’s a step-free station within 50km. 50km! In rural Shropshire, that’s absurd. There are just three fully operational stations in my constituency, plus two request stops where you literally have to wave down the train. Prees and Wrenbury – the nearest alternatives – are six and seven miles away, with no parking and no reliable bus links. For many, that’s not an option.
Meanwhile, we hear the same repeat phrases – ‘in due course,’ and ‘shortly’- as if they were answers. They’re not. They’re holding patterns. And every delay deepens the frustration of communities who were promised change. When I led a recent Westminster Hall debate on this issue, I called on the Transport Minister to turn the tide on persistent under-investment in public transport and finally give Whitchurch the green light. Because this isn’t just about one station. It’s about whether rural Britain matters.
I welcome the Government’s commitment to accessibility in principle. But principles don’t get people onto trains. Action does. The plans for Whitchurch are oven-ready. Network Rail is ready. The community is ready. All that’s missing is political will.
If ministers want to prove they’re serious about levelling up – not just in soundbites but in substance – they should start here. Announce the funding. Install the lift. Show that rural towns aren’t an afterthought. Because until Whitchurch is accessible, the Government’s promises of equality and growth will ring hollow.
Step-free access is about more than just getting from A to B
