A long-running campaign led by Labour councillors and Birkenhead MP, Mick Whitley to make Rock Ferry station fully accessible has paid off thanks to support from Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram.
Currently, passengers using wheelchairs who are travelling between Rock Ferry to Chester are unable to cross to the Chester platform due to steps.
In 2020 the Tory government turned down an application for accessibility funding for Rock Ferry, even though Liverpool City Region had put it at the top of their list.
Labour Mayor Steve Rotheram has now stepped in to move the project forward committing £200k for detailed design works to make the project ‘shovel ready.’
Once this work is done it is hoped that some of the £710m transport fund recently allocated to the City Region will be used to make the station fully accessible.
Mick Whitley, MP for Birkenhead, today said, “This is great news for disabled passengers in Rock Ferry who rely on public transport. I have been campaigning on this issue for a long time and I am glad that the work that I have been doing with partners in the city region and local campaigners has got us to this point.
“If this goes ahead it will tie in nicely with the introduction of the new ‘step-free’ level access trains which are soon coming into service.”
Labour Campaigner, Chris Davies, said, “This is a very positive development for Rock Ferry and shows what can be achieved if the community works together. Many people in Rock Ferry rely on public transport and it needs to be accessible to all.”
Rock Ferry councillor, Yvonne Nolan, said, “People with mobility issues should not be excluded from accessing public transport. As a wheelchair user myself I know how important it is to have accessible stations. Rock Ferry is a busy station and this will make a difference to many local people.”
Image: (L-R) Mick Whitley MP, Councillor Clare O’Hagan (rear), Councillor Yvonne Nolan (front), and Chris Davies, pictured at Rock Ferry Station.
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