Accessibility work at Mills Hill Railway Station continues after Covid-19 delays

Mills Hill station

Work to improve accessibility at Mills Hill Railway Station continues after being affected by delays due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The multi-million-pound investment by Network Rail is seeing a new ramp built on the Manchester-bound platform plus a new lift and staircase installed on the Rochdale-bound side to help those with reduced mobility, families with prams and those carrying heavy luggage. A temporary bridge has been built for passengers between the two platforms.

A Network Rail spokesperson said: “We are sorry to passengers that our accessibility upgrade at Mills Hill station to provide step-free access to both platforms is taking longer than hoped.

“Unforeseen drainage complications on Oldham Road and the impact of the coronavirus lockdown have caused the delay.

“We thank station users for their patience while we work as fast as we can with the highways team at Oldham Council to complete all of the work so the new lift can be operational by the end of this year.”

A spokesperson for station operator Northern said: “We are working hard to improve our stations for all our passengers including providing step-free access to both platforms at Mills Hill. This includes a new ramp on the Manchester-bound platform and a new lift and staircase installed on the Rochdale-bound side.

“There are currently no plans to upgrade the existing waiting shelters, but this could be considered in the future.”

The major station upgrade has been funded by the Department of Transport’s ‘Access for All’ programme. The project was originally planned to start in 2018, but was delayed after Network Rail chose a different contractor.