40-mile detour for disabled rail users to get between platforms at Alfreton station

Alfreton Town Council has hit out at rail bosses after work has still not begun on disabled access between the town's two station platforms - despite being promised for the last five years.
Councillors Steve Marshall-Clarke, John Walker, Pat Bennett, Scott Walker and Cheryl O'Brien are unhappy that Network Rail have not implemented plans for disabled access across the footbridge to platform 2 at Alferton Railway Station.Councillors Steve Marshall-Clarke, John Walker, Pat Bennett, Scott Walker and Cheryl O'Brien are unhappy that Network Rail have not implemented plans for disabled access across the footbridge to platform 2 at Alferton Railway Station.
Councillors Steve Marshall-Clarke, John Walker, Pat Bennett, Scott Walker and Cheryl O'Brien are unhappy that Network Rail have not implemented plans for disabled access across the footbridge to platform 2 at Alferton Railway Station.

Currently there is no way for disabled passengers to cross the footbridge between platform 1 and platform 2 of the town’s station.

This means that anyone travelling from Chesterfield to Alfreton has to continue on to Nottingham then take another train back to Alfreton in order to access platform 1 and exit the station - a 40 mile detour in total.

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Councillor Scott Walker, leader of Alfreton Town Council, said: “When people with disabilities are having to travel 40 miles to get from platform 2 to platform 1 it is a bit much.

“This is a long and sorry saga that stretches back five years to when it was first promised within 12 months.

“The most annoying thing is we keep getting people from Network Rail coming to our meetings and agreeing timetables then it just fizzles out.”

A Network Rail spokesperson said all schemes earmarked for the period between 2014-2019, including the one at Alfreton, had been reviewed.

He added: “This may mean that some rail upgrade projects will be delivered later than originally planned, but we remain committed to delivering the Access for All programme in full.”