“I was running to get the train, I was going to be late for work - I fell down the stairs and grazed my knee,” Nathaniel Yates tells me, recalling a fateful spring morning nearly 10 years ago where he was fortunate not to be badly hurt. “I thought ‘if a ramp or a lift had been there, that wouldn’t have happened."
The 29-year-old, who has cerebral palsy, had been making the familiar trip from his home station of Reddish North, in Stockport, to nearby Romiley. “It’s really hard running over steps - or walking over steps - wheelchair users have no chance,” he continues. “You might get a serious injury.”
Nathaniel's condition affects the left side of his body and leaves him with walking and visual impairments. These days he is still regularly heading over to Romiley to see friends, but finds the journey difficult to navigate at times.
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“I take my time on the stairs because I know I could fall again - but I know so many people who are affected by this issue,” he says. “At night, you think of all the different conditions you might struggle with and the whole environment getting up the stairs.
“If something is on the steps it’s hard to get through, it’s a barrier and in winter it can get icy - that’s an accident waiting to happen. "You would not even attempt it if you have a walking impairment. That’s not going to be a good thing.”
His experience of slipping on the steps back in 2013 stayed with him - and he later began noticing how other stations were not easy to negotiate for those with disabilities. Five years later, the former Stockport College student began campaigning to make Greater Manchester train station accessible for everyone, including families pushing a buggy.
His efforts have won him the support of Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham as well as MPs including Andrew Gwynne and Angela Rayner. The massive Reds fan has also sits on the Manchester United Disabled Supporters' Association (MUDSA) as an ambassador to junior members.
While government funding has been secured for improvements to Reddish North, there are 96 train stations in Greater Manchester and less than half currently have step-free access. Today we are in Woodsmoor - one of the stations waiting to hear whether it will qualify for the latest round of Access for All funding.
Here with Nathaniel is Coun Grace Baynham, who is lobbying for step-free access at the station, citing its proximity to Stepping Hill Hospital, schools and local businesses. It is currently fifth on Greater Manchester’s priority list. While there is a ramp down to Platform 1, on the other side of the station disabled passengers have to take their chances with stairs. There are currently no lifts.
Nathaniel says he is praying that stations such as Woodsmoor and Levenshulme are among the winners in the latest Access for All funding round. “The whole experience should be, let’s say, seamless,” says Nathaniel. “You should be able to get in a lift or use a ramp to get access to the station.
“Then there should be assistance when you get to the station, if you need it, to get on and off the train. It should be pleasurable using the train. The government talks about people getting access to work - if train stations are a problem how are people with disabilities supposed to get access to work if they can’t get on them.
"There’s still a long way to go - it needs to improve.”
While step-free access has been Nathaniel’s mission these last five years, he is also fighting to stop the potential widespread closure of ticket offices and removal of guards under rail ‘modernisation’.It is understood the Department for Transport believes the proposed reforms will introduce greater flexibility into the system, ultimately delivering more assistance for disabled and other passengers when needed.
However, Nathaniel sees plenty of pitfalls ahead.“Some disabled people and older people don’t have smartphones and will not have an app to get tickets," says Nathaniel.
"They would rather go to the office and get a ticket. Some people like offices as information hubs - and it’s a security issue as well." He adds: "What if someone gets mugged if the ticket office is closed?"
He is similarly unimpressed with the notion of removing guards from trains. “It’s good having the lifts and ramps to get to the other side of the station,” says Nathaniel.
“But how are people supposed to get on and off the train if they have a walking impairment? Or if they are wheelchair users of parents with a buggy.”
Under the Equality Act, transport providers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled people can use services. And if a station is inaccessible, operators must provide a free alternative service to ‘the next, most convenient, accessible station.’
“We live in the 21st century, says Nathaniel,” everything is supposed to be accessible - and the Equality Act if there for a reason. Reasonable adjustments should be made.
"You are supposed to be able to get a taxi to your next available train station if you can’t get access if you are disabled or have a problem. They need to see putting in ramps and lifts as an investment rather than a hindrance - because if you get everyone a taxi, it would cost a lot more.”
Despite seeing his home station of Reddish North land £4m government funding - in part due to his tireless campaigning - Nathaniel knows there is still far more to do. At December’s meeting of the Greater Manchester Transport Committee, bosses admitted that - given current government funding - the region will not meet its target of making all train stations accessible by 2025.
Simon Elliot, head of rail programme, said that in two years time he expected around 47 pc of stations would still need ‘some sort of intervention’ to make them accessible. But Nathaniel’s passion remains undimmed despite being told in one meeting it could be 2070 before every station in Greater Manchester has step-free access.
“So that means when I’m an old man I might be there cheering”, he laughs.
What Transport for Greater Manchester says
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is responsible for coordinating transport services throughout the city region.
A spokesperson said: "Improving rail station accessibility is a key priority for the city region and over the last few years Transport for Greater Manchester has been working with Northern, Network Rail and other partners and stakeholders through the Greater Manchester Stations Accessibility Task Force to make our railways as accessible as possible.
"We have reviewed all stations across the city-region to identify those most in need of step free access to develop a prioritised list which is used to determine where we focus funding as it becomes available."
Since 2019 TfGM has secured Access for All funding for improvements at Daisy Hill, Irlam, Walkden stations as well as Transforming Cities monies for Swinton. Last year TfGM was awarded £17 million as part of the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) to deliver step free schemes at Reddish North, Hindley and Bryn.
Work will continue at stations on its priority list, ensuring ‘shovel ready’ schemes that can be nominated for further funding opportunities. TfGM also submitted a further Access for All bid to government in September 2022 to make the 11 other priority stations – including Woodsmoor – accessible. Bosses expect to hear the outcome in the spring.
A spokesperson continued: "That means that currently funding has been secured to develop plans to improve accessibility at 18 of the top 20 prioritised stations across Greater Manchester, seven of which have funding to make improvements.
"A bid for funds has also been submitted to government that would enable improvements to be made at 11 other stations. Improvements at the remaining two in the top 20 list (Mossley and Greenfield) are expected to be completed as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU).
Last month the city-region also set out plans that would see services on six key train routes integrated into the Bee Network once buses are brought under local control from 2025.
Transport Commissioner for Greater Manchester, Vernon Everitt, said: “More than half of our rail stations remain inaccessible and that is not good enough. We are working extremely hard with industry partners to improve the situation and fully support the important work Nathaniel and others continue to do to campaign for improved accessibility.
“Our vision for the Bee Network is for a fully integrated network of buses, trams, trains and bikes and ensuring people can access local rail stations and services is a key priority.We are making positive progress with plans being developed to improve accessibility at 20 prioritised stations.
"Funding has already been secured to deliver improvements at seven of these stations and funding bids have been made to government to make a further 11 stations fully accessible. We are ambitious in our discussions with government and will continue to explore all opportunities to continue this vital work and open up rail travel to everyone in the city-region.”
What Network Rail says:
The owner and infrastructure manager of most of the railway network says it is 'committed to improving accessibility across the rail network to make it fit for the needs of all passengers'.
A spokesperson added: "We recognise that in Greater Manchester there is a long way to go to achieve this which is why we are continuing to work in partnership with TfGM, train operators and the Department for Transport to make sure the funding available is prioritised to those stations where it’s needed soonest.”
What the Department for Transport says
A DfT spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service : “Passengers deserve an inclusive railway and our £383m Access for All fund has delivered hundreds of step-free stations, including 12 in Greater Manchester.
“We’re also investing a further £1 million in 22 stations across the region to make journeys as easy as possible for those with additional needs.”
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