The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 made it illegal to discriminate against people with disabilities when providing goods, services, facilities or employment. A rail network, much of which dated from Victorian times and which was difficult for many people to access, inevitably came into focus.
The result was the Access for All (AfA) programme. Formally launched in 2006 with an initial funding pot of £360m, AfA was extended in 2014 with a further £163m.
In 2016 main programme funding was extended through Control Period 6 to provide fully accessible routes at 73 further stations. Alongside this, mid-tier funding of £20m targeted enhancements such as tactile paving, handrails and Harrington Humps at 124 stations.
Since 2006, a further 1,500 stations benefited from £47.81m worth of smaller scale improvements such as toilets, automatic doors, tactile paving and customer information screens. All of these minor projects were completed by 2016.
Are We Nearly There Yet?
To date, over 200 stations have been upgraded to offer step-free, accessible routes. While that’s an impressive achievement we can’t ignore the fact that the UK has over 2,500 rail stations.
The report ‘On Track for 2020? The Future of Accessible Rail Travel’ produced by the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) in 2015 indicates how far we still have to go.
It estimated that only 2% of stations have level access between trains and the platform. 67% of stations have platforms that are too narrow for wheelchairs to turn safely and only 35% have accessible toilets.
The Evolution Of AfA
Octavius Infrastructure has been involved with delivering AfA schemes since its launch, undertaking our first programme in 2006 when we were still part of Osborne. To date, we’ve completed more than 30 projects and have six more in progress.
We’ve witnessed the practical challenges and seen how the programme has evolved from the outset. Some early projects came up against heritage considerations where it was important to maintain the character of upgraded stations in historically sensitive and conservation areas.
Some AfA projects, such as Ewell West involve stations with listed status, which adds further design constraints. There are multiple stakeholder needs to meet on every project, including local community groups, local authorities and owners of key infrastructure such as roads, water and energy. AfA can’t work without highly collaborative delivery.
Value For Money And Efficiency
While funding for AfA has been significant, it’s also finite. Value for money has to be considered alongside energy efficiency, net zero (including embodied carbon) and evolving compliance requirements.
We’ve overcome these factors through diligent stakeholder engagement, value engineering, maximising the use of offsite fabrication and design standardisation. We also advise on design changes that make upgrades cheaper and reduce embodied carbon, without compromising accessibility.
Other efficiency-led innovations include using drones to survey stations scheduled for upgrades. This technology enabled Octavius to carry out detailed surveys of four stations in just two days.
Has AfA Made A Difference?
With over £1bn invested in AfA, the unavoidable question is has it made a difference? Research published by the European Transport Research Review carried out with people with reduced mobility clearly shows a clear modal shift towards rail where there is step-free access to trains.
The research also lists secondary benefits from AfA investments. These include: environmental benefits of a modal shift from car to rail, fewer accidents, increased rail revenue, and savings on the welfare budget.
In short, AfA is a sound and worthwhile investment. Octavius is looking forward to applying our practical experience to the next phase of programmes, both in a consultative capacity and through collaborative delivery.
For more information access our AfA resources or contact Lloyd Jefferson-Smith, Head of Rail Pre-Delivery at AfA@octavius.co.uk
