UK Government Urged to Improve Access to UK Railways

The railway network construction in Britain began two centuries ago when accessibility was not much of a concern in society. However, times have changed, and there has been an increase in the desire for more accessible railways. Several stairlift companies have emerged over the years, and stairlifts prices are quite reasonable nowadays. Today, any UK establishment can conveniently install stairlifts in its buildings.

There are a variety of organisations lobbying for more convenient rail travel in the UK, including the Campaign for Level Boarding, Transport for All, and the health and welfare charity Leonard Cheshire.

Slow progress

Leonard Cheshire’s director of policy Gemma Hope stated that there has been no significant development and that the system will not be ready until 2070. The progress of accessibility improvements is slow, affecting today’s growing number of people with disabilities.

Moreover, those with access challenges are affected by a lack of transportation. The situation prevents them from working and socialising with other people. Their commute seems to contribute nothing but additional expenses. Sometimes, people with disabilities need to travel a considerable distance to get from point A to B because of the lack of accessibility.

According to research conducted by Leonard Cheshire, inaccessible transportation is isolating for 22% of disabled individuals. According to the same research, 21% of disabled people state that inaccessible transportation has a negative impact on their mental health. In addition, 18% of persons with disabilities claim that inaccessible transportation has prevented them from staying active, and 15% have been kept from going out with family or friends.

Leonard Cheshire has urged the UK Government to enact legislation and provide funding commitments to achieve full accessibility for rail travel and public transport by 2030. The Inclusive Transport Strategy of the Department for Transport, published in 2018, aimed to provide equal access for disabled people by 2030.

The difficulty of making changes to improve accessibility might be complicated, as it needs coordination with Network Rail, train operators, and local authorities. While Leonard Cheshire acknowledges that Access for All, the Government’s main source of funding for station improvements, does not go far enough in meeting disabled persons’ requirements, they consider it a significant step forward.

Gemma Hope further noted that Access for All is essential because it gives a common pool of money from the DfT for more complicated projects. The solutions will differ from station to station. Still, the current pace of completion indicates that things are moving at a snail’s pace, despite Access for All being in operation for almost 20 years.

Increasing Equality and Boosting the Economy

UK establishments, listed properties, and other Government-owned buildings will have to consider stairlifts prices in the UK before proceeding with an accessibility project. The total cost of providing a fully accessible railway network may be between £2 billion and £6 billion, with a central estimate of £4 billion — or 1-3% of overall transport capital expenditure between 2020 and 2030.

According to the institute, approximately 51,000 people with work-limiting impairments would be able to attain full access and other employment benefits.

According to Leonard Cheshire’s work, these changes may produce revenue of £450 million per year for the Exchequer and create an economic output increase of £1.3 billion.

According to Hope, the cost is a factor. Still, the overall network’s cost of making it step-free is a far smaller investment than some of the other big transport projects they see, like HS2.

Accessible travel is more than step-free access – it also entails better disability training for transportation personnel, visible and audible signage, verbal announcements for deaf or hard of hearing individuals, and accessibility throughout train carriages such as accessible toilets, accessible audio/visual communication, and wheelchair spaces.

Types of Stair Lifts Available at Sesame Access Systems

Horizontally Retracting Stairs

• This lift features an innovative wheel stop mechanism that prevents wheels from rolling off the platform as it stands in the shallow available pit depth.
• This lift offers two choices:For a rise of 500mm, the platform is 1450mm x 1085mm in size, with a crossing reach of 750mm/900mm.
• For a height of up to 750mm, the platform measures 1624mm x 1098mm and has a walking reach of 1200mm across the stairs.
• Both lift tables can accept up to 22mm of cladding.
• The smallest modifications to the building’s fabric are required for this traversing lift in the Sesame Access Systems product line.

Rising Barrier Lift

• This lift has an automated rising barrier that rises 1100 mm on the lift to surround the user completely.
• The cladding material may be installed over any thickness, resulting in a deeper pit depth if the thicker cladding is used.
• In order to protect people against the fall hazard created when the platform descends, the lift has an automated rising barrier at the top landing.
• Nominal platform sizes for this lift can differ due to site requirements. However, they are more than or equal to: 1250mm (w) x 1738mm (l) x 0-2999mm (h)

Vertically Retracting Stairs

• In this lift, the stairs handrails and an on-lift rising barrier enclose the user completely to 1100mm.
• The lift table may be clad with any material. The stairs draw back vertically to form the platform, so the stair cladding covers most of the surface of the table of the lift.
• The handrails that rise as the lift ascends sit on a small stair profile.
• Nominal platform sizes for this lift can differ due to site requirements, but they have minimum sizes of: 1178mm (w) 1688mm (l) x 0-2999mm (h)

Sesame Access

A platform lift is important in ensuring accessibility for people with mobility impairments. Platform lifts can be used to access public transportation, buildings, and other places that may not otherwise be accessible by wheelchair. They can also provide access to people who need assistance getting around due to age or disability.

At sesameaccess.com, you can have beautifully finished, high-quality, customised lifts, perfect for any building, especially for listed buildings and iconic properties, with reasonable stairlifts prices. All our lifts comply with British Standards and are CE-marked, indicating that our products comply with EU legislation.

Sesame Access Systems is one of the best stairlift companies in the UK. We have installed our products in UK establishments and listed properties. For more details about our lifts, interested parties may browse our products by visiting our homepage.