'They have forgotten the last step' - campaigners

Campaigners have said they are still unable to use their local railway station, despite a recent refurbishment to improve accessibility and upgrade facilities.

The £7.8m project means there is now step-free access at Menston station, which connects the village to Leeds and Bradford on the Wharfedale line.

Network Rail said the improvements had been "widely welcomed" by station visitors and have made a "significant difference to people with reduced mobility".

But campaigner Chris Steele said: "We have been told that maybe in 10 years there will be new trains on the line which would make the platform accessible, but I do not think anyone who is waiting to get a train should be waiting 10 years".

Steele, who had a hip replacement which has affected his mobility, said he remains unable to use the station due to the height difference between the platform and the train.

"I cannot actually lift my leg up enough to get on the train."

The campaigner, who was a Labour councillor for Wharfedale until last Thursday's local elections, could not use the train to attend meetings to discuss transport decisions as part of his role on the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee.

"Nearly two years ago when I had my first meeting there, I had to tell them I had to drive into Leeds because I physically was not able to use the train."

He and other campaigners have called for the installation of a Harrington Hump.

It is a modular, easy-to-install system by which the height of a railway platform can be increased at relatively low cost.

It takes its name from Harrington railway station in Cumbria, where it was first used.

David Kennedy, a resident of Menston, suggested it as a possible solution.

"It is more than inconvenient for a very large number of people, Menston has got a very high elderly population and a lot of them literally cannot get on the train."

"If you are elderly, if you are disabled in any way, if you are a parent with a buggy, it is really difficult to get on the train, so the very last step, somehow, they have forgotten all about it."

A Network Rail spokesperson said the "major improvements" delivered with funding from the government's Access for All programme, have been "widely welcomed by station visitors".

"Step free access to and between the platforms is provided by a modern, fully accessible footbridge with lifts, and there have been associated improvements to CCTV, lighting, tactile paving, passenger information systems and a refurbished accessible footpath.

"This investment is making a significant difference to people with reduced mobility or travelling with prams or luggage, and Northern's Passenger Assist remains available for anyone needing support when boarding or alighting trains."

Steele described the work as "fantastic" but wants to see more done to improve the last of the issues.

"There is still a problem with the accessibility onto the trains from Platform 2, because the step up is so large."

He added the Harrington Hump was relatively low cost: "I am hoping when a feasibility study is completed, we will be able to find the money somewhere for it."

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