Anger over access to Shifnal station platform
A railway station is inaccessible for disabled passengers and parents with pushchairs, residents have claimed.
The problems at Shifnal station are forcing wheelchair users to travel to Telford if they want to catch a train to Shrewsbury, say passengers.
The station can only be reached via stairs from Market Street or a ramp designed for cars off Aston Street – both of which lead to the platform with trains for Wolverhampton and Birmingham.
London Midland, which is responsible for the station, has said it is already looking at ways to improve access.
Ken Poole, who lives on The Grove, said the ramp is dangerous because of vehicles parking along the sides.
He said this makes it impossible to get on to the second platform because of a need to negotiate a bridge with stairs to get to the platform to travel towards Shrewsbury.
"My case is that to access the other Shrewsbury bound platform, one has to negotiate a bridge using two sets of steps. Now if you are wheelchair bound, you cannot use it," said Mr Poole.
"If you have a child or children and have a pushchair, again it's very difficult and my three-year-old grandson has bruised his legs when his leg has slipped through the gaps.
"There is no other way of accessing this platform, I hasten to add. I believe that in this day and age this should be rectified.
"Why should disabled and infirm passengers have to travel to Telford Central to catch a train to Shrewsbury and North Wales?"
London Midland said it is already offering services to help passengers until such time as the station can be improved.
Francis Thomas, a spokesman for London Midland, said: " Mr Poole is quite right. Shifnal is accessible in the Wolverhampton direction, but not in the Telford direction.
"At London Midland we believe travel should be simple for everyone. Seventy-five per cent of our stations are fully accessible and over time we want to see that number up to 100 per cent.
"Where stations are not yet accessible we provide a free assistance service.
"This includes offering to transfer the passenger to the nearest suitable station at our cost," he said.
Details of the assistance service can be found at londonmidland.com/your-journey/more/accessibility or by calling 0800 0924260.
