PEOPLE are being urged to attend a special drop-in session on Monday, August 5, where the latest update will be given on the long-awaited plans for lifts at Barnt Green Station.
The event, during the Barnt Green’s Annual Parish Meeting, will run from 7pm to 9pm at the Friends Meeting House, Sandhills Road.
Representatives from Network Rail who will be in attendance to speak to the public and people will get the chance to ask questions about the progress of the installation.
There has been a long quest for lifts at Barnt Green Railway Station, which is one of the least accessible stations for disabled people in the country.
Although the approval and the funding was agreed by the Department for Transport in June 2023, no installation date has yet been given.
Barnt Green Parish Council’s pursuit of lifts was triggered by the installation of a new footbridge in 2015 as part of the electrification of the line which runs to Bromsgrove.
The new structure had more steps than the old footbridge and so should have incorporated disabled access to comply with the Equality Act 2010.
Of the four platforms at the station, only two are accessible from the ground – the two outer ones on Hewell Road and Fiery Hill Road – it is not possible to get to the central two without using the stairs.
Eleanor Choudry, the executive officer on Barnt Green Parish Council, said: “We had a lot of interest in the presentation from Network Rail last time and this is an ongoing concern to residents who want to know what is going on.
“Hopefully we’ll find out more about the timescale for the project.”
