Commons Sense

House of Commons · Adjournment Debate

Accessibility of Railway Stations Dulwich and West Norwood 2025-09-09

09 September 2025 · 6 other contributors

Opened by Helen Hayes Lab Dulwich and West Norwood

Transport

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Helen Hayes raised concerns about accessibility of railway stations dulwich and west norwood 2025-09-09 in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.

Key points

  • Concerns raised about accessibility at local railway stations in Dulwich and West Norwood, with only three out of ten stations being accessible.
  • Wheelchair users are unable to use seven out of ten rail stations, hindering work and travel for constituents.
  • The MP has unsuccessfully sought funding for stations in her constituency through the Access for All programme for over a decade.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Helen Hayes Lab Dulwich and West Norwood

I am grateful for the opportunity to bring before the House the significant issues that affect my constituents across Dulwich and West Norwood because of the lack of accessibility at our local railway stations. The constituency covers part of Lambeth and Southwark, with only three out of ten rail stations being accessible—Herne Hill, East Dulwich, and West Norwood—with Herne Hill meeting up-to-date standards. Wheelchair users are effectively locked out of rail travel entirely at inaccessible stations, causing major problems for many constituents. This lack of accessibility is a significant barrier to work and hinders the modal shift from private cars to public transport as per Government objectives. During every round of Access for All funding since I was first elected more than a decade ago, I have pressed for stations in my constituency to be granted funding but failed due to prioritisation issues.

Other contributors (6)
  • Daniel Francis Lab Bexleyheath and Crayford

    Welcomes Helen Hayes' campaign and supports the introduction of a national app similar to Transport for London’s accessibility information system.

  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    Agrees that adequate staffing at railway stations is crucial in making stations accessible, and emphasises the need for equality in rail obligations across all constituencies.

  • Valerie Vaz Lab Walsall and Bloxwich

    Highlights that inaccessible stations lead to underreported footfall figures which can negatively impact funding allocation.

  • Gareth Snell Lab/Co-op Stoke-on-Trent Central

    Suggests a campaign to ringfence accessibility funding so it cannot be reallocated for other local projects, referencing the transforming cities fund.

  • Nusrat Ghani Con Sussex Weald

    Madam Deputy Speaker noted the accessibility funding application of Wadhurst station in her constituency.

  • Gareth Snell Lab Leyland and South Ribble

    Asked for a similar meeting with the Rail Minister regarding Longton train station.

Government Response

Not specified in the given text

The Minister's response is not provided in this section of the transcript. Further context or continuation of the debate would be necessary to extract and include it accurately. The Minister acknowledged Helen Hayes' concerns and highlighted that since the Access for All programme's launch in 2006, over 260 stations across Great Britain have been made step-free. He outlined the criteria used to select stations for funding, which includes annual footfall, incidence of disability in the area, and local factors such as hospital proximity and third-party funding availability. The Minister committed to facilitating a meeting with the Rail Minister to discuss issues in Helen Hayes' constituency. Additionally, he mentioned that feasibility work is being done on 50 strong candidate stations for future Access for All investment. He emphasised that accessibility standards are embedded in everything the Department does and outlined plans for an accessibility charter and improvements across all modes of transport as part of their integrated national transport strategy.

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