Ashfield MP calls for Kirkby station to be ‘priority’ for revamp due to 'accessibility' issues

Kirkby Station can only be accessed and exited by a flight of stairs, where most stations have ramps or lifts.

To discuss a potential renovation, Ashfield MP Lee Anderson met with with representatives from Network Rail and East Midlands Railway (EMR)

EMR and Network Rail are currently identifying priority locations so they can bid for the ‘Access for All’ funding. during the government’s 2024-2029 funding cycle.

The government makes railway infrastructure investment cash available every five years, and the MP says he has been making “the strongest case possible” for a Kirkby station upgrade after hearing from parents and elderly constituents.

According to the MP the community has been “eager” to let him hear their thoughts over the station.

He said that parents regularly “struggle to manoeuvre the steps with pushchairs” and that “the elderly and infirm cannot access the platform”.

As a consequence, he said many potential train users avoided using the station, using other stations instead.

The MP cited one pensioner who told him that they had fallen down the steps, and while not seriously injured, Mr Anderson said they had been “badly shaken”.

He also reported that a taxi-driver had told him about passengers boarding the train in Nottingham, but were “stranded,” and unable to get off the train at Kirkby.

He added “the consensus” was also that the station was built to a “minimal standard with no character”.

Mr Anderson said of the latest moves over the station: “This is potentially great news for Kirkby. Kirkby waited years for a trainline to be installed, the town felt left behind as other towns had a station.

"The station is one of only a few that isn’t accessible to all. In this day and age, this isn’t good enough, as when I secured the Town’s Fund cash, I will be knocking on Minister’s doors, at every opportunity, in order to get this money.

"Residents are proud to live in Kirkby but are desperate for a modern train station. An accessible station would connect more people to other parts of the county and is crucial in Ashfield’s desire to Level-Up”.

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