Accessibility work at Mills Hill Railway Station still not complete

Mills Hill station

Work to improve accessibility at Mills Hill Railway Station is still not complete two years after it first began, due to delays from the coronavirus pandemic.

Pre-pandemic, the work to make the station more user-friendly was originally due to be complete by Spring 2020.

The £3.3million enhancements – part of Network Rail’s Access for All programme –  include a new ramp on the Manchester-bound platform, and a lift and staircase on the Rochdale-bound side, to improve access for those with reduced mobility, families with prams and those carrying heavy luggage.

However, Rochdale Online understands there is still no wheelchair access for the Rochdale-bound platform, as the lift, although installed, is not yet in use.

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

“This additional period of national lockdown has presented a number of further unexpected challenges to the project.

“We are working hard to rectify them with the council, contractor and train operator Northern while fewer passengers are using the railway.

“We thank station users, who still must travel for permitted reasons during lockdown, for their patience while we work as fast as we can to complete the work.”

No timeframe was given for the work to be completed.

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.

After starting in Spring 2019, the project was hit further by delays in 2020 with the start of the pandemic.