Shotton and Flint railway stations secure part of £300m fund to improve access for people with disabilities

Disabled rail passengers in Flintshire will benefit from better access at two local stations thanks to a £300 million government investment.

Transport Minister Nusrat Ghani has announced that over the next 5 years journeys will be opened up across Britain as upgrades, including footbridges and lifts, make it easier for disabled people to travel on the UK’s rail network.

Shotton and Flint stations are amongst 73 which will be funded as part of the Department for Transport’s Inclusive Transport Strategy, published last year.

The funding will also benefit those with health conditions or older people with impairments, along with people travelling with children, heavy luggage or shopping.

Transport Accessibility Minister Nusrat Ghani will say today:

“Transport is vital for connecting people with work, friends and family, but also to enable them to enjoy visiting some of the wonderful cultural, historical and natural sites across the UK.

We want the 13.9 million disabled people in Britain to be empowered to travel independently, which is why I am delighted to announce this roll out of upgrades across the rail network.”

Flint station will now be, subject to a feasible design being possible, receive an accessible route into the station, as well as to and between both platforms.

All work at the stations receiving the funding is due to be completed by the end of March 2024.

David Hanson MP who nominated Flint station for the funding said:

 “This is excellent news for Flint and rail passengers from all over Delyn. As soon as I heard that funding was being made available I put in an application as Flint desperately needed upgrading to ensure that everyone could use it no matter what their mobility levels.

As many of you will already know, the only way to access both platforms from the ticket office is via two footbridges.

These do not have step-free access and mean that people wanting to have step-free access have to take a huge detour under the railway line.

Being one of only 73 railway stations in the country to receive this funding is a big vote of confidence in Flint station.

It shows that Network Rail see the importance of our station and how it needs to be part of the modernisation of the network. This is the first step in making the North Wales coastal railway truly accessible for all.

Investment in our railway network is of the utmost importance.

Going forward I want to see us unlock direct routes between our network and Liverpool so that we can benefit from the economic growth in our largest nearest city. I will continue to lobby Transport for Wales and Network Rail to see Delyn’s railways deliver even better services.”