2 weeks Ago
The new look Daisy Hill Railway Station is just the ticket for local resident Damien France, who was among those gathered to celebrate a £4 million transformation. The station has been upgraded to become step-free, something many had been campaigning for. Mr France was among local residents, accessibility campaigners who joined Bolton Council Leader, Nick Peel, and MP for Bolton West, Phil Brickell, to mark the official opening of a new lift at Daisy Hill station, which provides passengers step-free access for the first time.
The completed scheme makes the station – which is run by Northern – much easier to use for passengers, especially those who are wheelchair users, have limited mobility, or are travelling with bicycles, pushchairs or luggage. (Image: Northern Rail) Bolton Council leader Nick Peel; Cllr David Chadwick (Westhoughton South); Rebecca Rathore, Route Strategy Director at Network Rail; Damian France, Daisy Hill resident; Nathaniel Yates, accessibility campaigner; Angela Hart, Retail Supervisor Assist The new lift is part of a £4m investment in accessibility upgrades at the station, which included installing an accessible toilet, enhancing the station’s accessible car parking facilities and upgrades to the ticket office and booking hall to create a new lift lobby area. Among the residents to benefit from the project was Mr France, who has lived in Westhoughton for 37 years.
He said: "As a local resident of Daisy Hill who uses a wheelchair, this is life-changing for me. I’ve lived in the area for 37 years and there has always been promises of accessibility, so it’s great to see the results of the upgrade. “I’ve used the facilities here; this station is looking very inclusive now and I’m really pleased.
“I want to thank everyone involved, it does make a big difference, it’s about participation and it’s about life.” The completed works allow passengers to travel directly into Manchester City Centre within 35 minutes. Speaking to The Bolton News Regional Director at Northern Craig Harrop said: “It’s fantastic to see the new facilities, including step free access, unveiled at this location.
Regional Director at Northern Craig Harrop (Image: Leah Collins) “The £4million funding will be used to improve travel across Greater Manchester and beyond. Northern railways want to ensure that everyone has the confidence to use our train services, wherever they’re going. READ MORE: Bolton on street parking charges to rise as per new budget Bolton prices for pest control services detailed in new budget GMP's Bolton district report reveals 2024 crime stats “I want to give a massive thank you to those who visited the station today to support the completion of the upgrades.
” Network Director for Rail at Travel for Greater Manchester Simon Elliott said: "It's wonderful to see people gather here to celebrate the completion of the station following the culmination of the £4million central government investment. "This is a collaborative investment, with TfGM working closely with Northern Rail and Network Rail and marks a celebration of how we can make the network fully accessible across Greater Manchester and beyond ." Local councillors, rail industry representatives, accessibility campaigners and stakeholders gathered to celebrate the achievement.
(Image: Leah Collins) Bolton Council Leader Cllr Nick Peel said: “Bolton was among the first areas to join the Bee Network back in 2023 and I’m proud that we’re now also home to the first of the railway stations that will see accessibility improvements. “Making stations accessible is not a ‘nice to have’, it brings an essential service into the reach of more people and improves their opportunities and quality of life. “Cllr David Chadwick has spent years campaigning for this, so a massive thank you to him for his dedication towards an important cause.
Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy said: “Thanks to £2.75m of Government funding, a new lift and improved accessible facilities at Daisy Hill station will change how people get around Greater Manchester – paving the way for better connections around the UK. “We’re clear in our ambitions for our transport network to be accessible so people can travel easily, confidently, and with dignity, so it’s great to see the impact our Access for All programme is making".
Cllr David Chadwick said: "There are many people that use this station every day and need access to the platform, to have a lift which makes it accessible for everyone is absolutely brilliant progress." Cllr David Chadwick has been campaigning for the upgrades to the station. (Image: Leah Collins) The completion of the scheme marks the beginning of a rolling programme of accessibility works, with Transport for Greater Manchester to deliver step-free upgrades at 10 stations over the next three years, twice as many than in the preceding decade.
Currently, fewer than half of the city-region’s stations are accessible. Using money from the government’s City Region Sustainable Transport settlement (CRSTS) and the Department for Transport’s Access for All scheme, 63% of Greater Manchester’s stations will be step-free by March 2028. Bolton West MP Phil Brickell said: “It’s great to see the upgrades to the station, this makes a real difference to people in Westhoughton and their daily lives.
Bolton West MP Phil Brickell. (Image: Leah Collins) “The upgrades are a tribute to the work being done by central government, local campaigners and councillors to make sure that there is real demonstrable improvement that will continue to benefit people for the long-term.” Damien France has lived in Westhoughton for 37 years and welcomes the upgrade.
(Image: Leah Collins) Accessibility campaigner Nathaniel Yates welcomed the improvements at Daisy Hill station and the rolling programme of improvements. Accessibility campaigner Nathaniel Yates welcomed the rolling improvements to stations across Greater Manchester. (Image: Leah Collins) He said: “The installation of the new lift at Daisy Hill is great for progress, it’s the start of a new journey and I’m delighted that it’s now available for people to use.
” Dame Sarah Storey, Greater Manchester’s Active Travel Commissioner, said: “People with disabilities or mobility issues should be able to make seamless journeys across the city-region and there shouldn’t be barriers to anyone using trains to reach their destination. “The much-needed accessibility improvements at Daisy Hill station are a welcome first step towards our ambition to make every station accessible for people with disabilities, as well as those with pushchairs and bikes, in Greater Manchester. “Through the Bee Network we can build an inclusive public transport system that truly works for everyone, supporting growth, jobs and access to opportunity.
While we look to make more stations step-free we also need to audit and make sure that the routes to them are safe and accessible for people walking, wheeling and cycling that part of their journey.” The improvements at Daisy Hill station are part of a collaborative effort between Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), Northern, and Network Rail, with funding provided by the Department for Transport’s Access for All Scheme and GMCA. Tommy Fleming, Network Rail’s sponsor for the project, said: “The newly installed lifts at Daisy Hill station are an important milestone in our commitment to making rail travel more welcoming and accessible for all.
“It has been an honour to contribute to making Daisy Hill station step-free. Accessible stations make it easier for people to visit friends, get to the shops or to work. They are of critical importance to people who cannot travel without step-free access.
We are determined to do as much as we can to promote accessible travel across Greater Manchester.” Story Contracting has delivered the accessibility improvements at Daisy Hill station, which included using a 350-tonne crane to lift the new structure into place on the platform..
