Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham met with students at Bridge College (part of the Together Trust charity) in Openshaw, Manchester, this month to discuss local accessibility challenges as well as the students’ community and campaign work.
“There are 96 train stations in Greater Manchester – and less than half have step-free access,” explains Lucy Croxton, Campaigns Manager at the Together Trust charity, who has been working with and supporting the students on their campaign to make Ashburys train station accessible.
Ashburys station is Bridge College’s closest train station, but with 111 steps to tackle and no step-free access, it’s inaccessible for many of the students as well as other travellers to access.
“At this rate of progress, disabled people will have to wait until 2070 for all stations to be accessible in Britain. When people rely on public transport, this is a massive barrier to their independence, employment, and social well-being,” Lucy adds.
Improving the accessibility and modernisation of transportation in Greater Manchester has been a cornerstone of Mayor Andy Burnham’s manifesto, including the launch of the ‘Bee Network’ this month. He has previously shown support for the accessible station campaign by working with local campaigner Nathanial Yates, who is working with Bridge College students and the Together Trust charity after successfully securing funding for his own local station, Reddish North.
“Everybody in our city-region should be able to travel around confidently and safely, and it’s simply not acceptable that people here in Greater Manchester still face a lack of facilities to meet their needs,” says Andy Burnham.
“We’re doing all we can to call out accessibility issues where we find them and push for equal access for all rail users. To see young people so engaged in this campaign and committed to making a difference in their communities is brilliant, and I’m proud to be backing them all the way.”
Bridge College students also spoke with the Mayor about the work they’ve been doing in their local community which includes organising and participating in litter-picking drives around the college grounds, Manchester College, and local community parks, as well as fundraising for and supporting the regional homeless charity Centre Point.
Bridge College, based in Openshaw, Manchester, and run by the Together Trust charity, offers specialist education for students aged 16 to 25 with learning difficulties, disabilities, complex health needs and autism.
More details on the Together Trust’s campaign to make train stations across Greater Manchester accessible, including ways for the general public to support the campaign, is available at: https://www.togethertrust.org.uk/accessible-travel
