​Network Rail begins work to improve accessibility at Bedford railway station

Network Rail is carrying out vital work to refurbish the lifts at Bedford railway station to give those with additional access needs a more reliable route to the platforms.

The work begins on Monday, 1 October and will be completed on Monday, 3 December. Due to the nature of the work, this means that there will be no step-free access to the station during this time.

Passengers who are unable to use the stairs and are travelling from Bedford will be given the option of either using southbound trains from Platform 1, which may not be the next service, or taking a free accessible taxi to Luton Airport Parkway or Wellingborough, for the north.

Passengers travelling to Bedford from the south will need to alight at Luton Airport Parkway where a free accessible taxi will help them continue their journey. Passengers travelling from the north will alight at Wellingborough for a free taxi to Bedford.

As part of the Midland Mainline Upgrade, Network Rail engineering works will also be taking place on the weekends of 13^th and 14^th October and 10^th and 11^th November which will mean no East Midlands Trains services will be able to run between Bedford and Leicester. This work is the demolition of Earwigg railway bridge near Milton Earnest, Bedfordshire, to allow the installation of overhead wires.

Customers who will be travelling during this time and need assistance are urged to plan ahead and book assistance for their journey, especially those that may be travelling to attend events on Remembrance Sunday.

Rob McIntosh, Route Managing Director for Network Rail, said: “We know that these lifts have been unreliable, and we apologise for this.

“There’s never an ideal time to carry out this type of upgrade and we do appreciate the impact that this will have. We have worked closely with both Thameslink and East Midlands Trains to keep the impact to a minimum.

“The lifts need to be refurbished so that we can create a more reliable route to the platforms for those who need it, creating a more modern and reliable railway which meets the needs of all passengers at the station. We’d like to thank station users for their patience whilst this takes place.

Joe Healy, station manager at Bedford Station, said: “We’ll be doing our best to help passengers with pushchairs and luggage during the work but passengers who cannot negotiate the stairs will need to travel via the next nearest accessible station.

“We can order accessible taxis on demand but there is inevitably a delay, so we would urge these passengers to arrange this in advance if possible via our dedicated assistance team.”

Dan Lucas, General Manager for East Midlands Trains, said: "The refurbishment of these lifts will cause some inconvenience for customers, but we will be doing all we can make it as simple as possible for those travelling during this time. If you do need a helping hand, please contact us in advance and we will be pleased to provide advice and make alternative arrangements if needed."

Passengers can organise assistance through contacting their train operator.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Passengers can contact the East Midlands Trains assisted travel team via

• Phone: 08000 11 33 23 
• Online: eastmidlandstrains.co.uk 
• Text Direct: 18001 08000 11 33 23

Passengers can contact the Thameslink assisted travel team via:

• Phone: 0800 058 2844
• Textphone: 0800 138 1018
• SMS Text: 07860 034 269
• Online: www.thameslinkrailway.com/assistedtravel
• Email: assistedtravel@thameslinkrailway.com