Calls have been made to make Warwick station wheelchair-friendly - 13 years after the first disability discrimination act was passed.
People using wheelchairs or with mobility problems are unable to use the southbound platform at the station as this is only accessible by steps.
Instead they must contact station operators Chiltern Railways for a taxi to Warwick Parkway or Leaming
ton where there are lifts to take people to both platforms.
Warwick resident Penny Bould uses a wheelchair and is a disability, diversity and access consultant.
She said: “In this day and age to say it is disappointing is an understatement.
“It is incredibly frustrating to find there is still no access all these years after the original act was passed.”
Disabled people are more likely not to own cars and to be unemployed and on a low income, and so more likely to have to use public transport.
Ms Bould said even providing taxis for those in wheelchairs created an extra leg to the journey, taking more time and costing the train operator company money.
And she warned that disabled tourists arriving in Warwick by train from Birmingham might not be aware of the problem until they arrived, and might be put off from visiting the town. Ms Bould believes lifts or other measures should be installed to help people with wheelchairs or scooters.
She added: “We are talking about making changes that are going to be there for future generations. It is not a temporary investment.”
A Chiltern Railways spokesman said: “We are committed to continually improving our stations with a particular focus on accessibility and are currently looking into ways that we might make Warwick station accessible to all. But we would like to remind passengers that if they need assistance travelling to an accessible station, we can arrange for a taxi.”
For more information call 08456 005165.
The full article contains 318 words and appears in Warwick Courier newspaper.
