Heritage railway stations and rolling stock were originally built in an era when access for the disabled was not a main priority. However, we are working hard to ensure that all our visitors are given an equal opportunity to visit and enjoy the Severn Valley Railway and the surrounding attractions. We are consequently carrying out works to give disabled visitors the same level of access and convenience as able bodied visitors where possible.
Recent projects include our ‘Access4All’ project which comprised three strands of work:
Bewdley Station - Wheelchair access to platforms 2 & 3
We aim to improve the wheelchair access to the island platforms 2 & 3 at Bewdley Station, as the only access route for wheelchair users is via a barrow crossing, accessed through the Goods Yard, which has an ash/aggregate surface. This does not drain well and has suffered from degradation, now creating an uneven surface with potholes and puddles. There is also a water tower at the top of the platform ramp that leads to the crossing, which restricts access and creates a narrow and wet obstacle at track level.
We aim to improve this as soon as possible, but it has not been possible to carry out the works as planned due to the COVID19 lockdown, which closed the Railway until 1st August, completely cutting off income generated from visitors and major events. This now means that the Railway cannot proceed with the works without urgent external financial support.
Bridgnorth Station – Disabled WC
We are developing further plans for a refurbishment and reconfiguration of Bridgnoth Station but ahead of the next phase, we need to create a Disabled WC within the original WC block on the station platform as the Male WC’s have been re-located to a new building, but the Disabled WC is currently in a temporary portable facility.