News / Transport
New lift at train station finally gets go-ahead
A train station will be “fully accessible” for the first time since its 1863 opening now that planning permission for a new lift has finally been granted.
Lawrence Hill railway station currently only has step-free access from one platform, meaning passengers travelling towards Temple Meads must navigate a set of stairs.
Now given the green light by Bristol City Council, plans from Network Rail will see a lift built connecting Church Road with the southbound platform 2.
It’s a huge win for Disability campaigners who have long called out the lack of accessibility at the train station in east Bristol.
Improved accessibility at Lawrence Hill is part of the wider £400m rail upgrade across the West of England – image: Network Rail
The project is being funded by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority. Mayor Helen Godwin said Lawrence Hill has not been fully accessible “for too many years,” leaving parents struggling with prams and excluding Disabled and older people from train travel.
Godwin added: “We want all of our stations to be fully accessible, so it’s great that our plans have now been approved to install a new lift to make Lawrence Hill step-free.
“While we continue building new stations in this new chapter for the west, and plan for how best to invest some of the record £752 million for transport secured at the spending review to increase the frequency of services across our suburban network, our region’s older stations need investment.”
Passengers using one platform at the station will no longer have to navigate a stretch of stairs to reach Church Road – photo: Betty Woolerton
Green councillor for Southville Tony Dyer, also council leader, said he hopes the investment will “improve transport connections to jobs, education and leisure for new and existing communities, and provide a greener, more convenient way for people in Bristol to travel”.
Marcus Jones, western route director at Network Rail, said: “We’re striving to make our railway as open and accessible to all as we can, and providing a lift at Lawrence Hill station will make travelling by train much easier for those with reduced mobility, people with pushchairs, cyclists, and passengers carrying heavy luggage.
“With the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority we’re embarking on the biggest rail regeneration for the region in decades with more stations, more services and improvements across the railway, and today’s announcement brings us another step closer to bringing better rail travel for the people of Bristol and the west of England.”
Lawrence Hill is on the Severn Beach Line and more than 350,000 people use the station each year – photo: Betty Woolerton
Hannah Shackleford, Wales and West of England development manager for Great Western Rail, said she was “delighted” that planning approval has been granted.
“Improving access to our stations is really important to us helping even more people to take advantage of the benefit rail brings to the local and national economy.”
While the lift is being fitted, current steps on platform 2 will be demolished and a temporary footbridge from platform 1 will be installed.
Main photo: Betty Woolerton
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