A number of railways stations have undertaken extensive passenger lift refurbishments in the past year, citing provision for a predicted increase in passenger numbers when HS2 is completed, as well as an ‘Access for All’ upgrade scheme, which was launched in 2006 to improve accessibility at railway stations nationwide.

Place North West has reported on a £400,000 refurbishment project taking place at Macclesfield Station, that aims to make step-free access to the station platforms more reliable. It, unfortunately, means that both passenger lifts will be out of action at the same time, but there will be staff on hand at the station to help those who require it.

Tom Wadsworth, the senior asset engineer for buildings at Network Rail, said: “This investment into the lifts at Macclesfield station is much-needed and will greatly improve reliability for passengers.”

He explained that Macclesfield Station will be part of the HS2 high-speed rail network to Crewe, and there was a need to improve station facilities, in particular to refurbish the passenger lifts to grant rail users an enhanced experience at the station.

However, Macclesfield is not the only station that has undertaken passenger lift refurbishments in the past year, with a £750,000 project to refurbish the lifts at Derby Railway Station, and an upgrade to lifts at Tamworth Station.

New passenger lifts have also been installed at Leeds Rail Station as part of a £32 million refurbishment, and new lifts have been installed at Stechford station in Birmingham, as part of the £3.9m ‘Access for All’ upgrade scheme.

Network Rail have also said that the lift upgrades and refurbishments have been necessary to help accommodate the public’s need to maintain social distancing in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, and the lift refurbishments will allow for a faster service, with more room, and an over all better experience.

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