Hebden Bridge Station
From Susan Quick
Friday, 23 January 2015
Lifts are planned for the station so disabled people, parents with prams, people with heavy luggage no longer have to struggle up and down the steep stone steps from the station entrance. Wonderful news!
Northern Rail and Network Rail are currently carrying out a consultation for a feasibility study to find out what else we need before the station is fully accessible.
Friends of Hebden Bridge Station need your thoughts. Is the entrance to the station fully accessible? Are there sufficient disabled parking bays? Can wheelchair users buy tickets, either at the ticket office or from the machine? Last time I tried disabled tickets were not available from the ticket machine. What changes are needed to make the station fully accessible for those of us who are blind or deaf?
Please let us have your thoughts. Thanks.
I'm partially sighted and have poor balance; I represent the disabled community on Hebden Bridge Partnership.
From Ruth L
Tuesday, 27 January 2015
Hebden Bridge station could do with more platform seating for people with mobility difficulties, especially as staff never stop people smoking on the station, and I for one do not want to sit next to someone filling the air with chemicals even if it is the last seat available.
Both disabled and elderly tickets should be available form the vending machine. Tickets bought with West Yorkshire passes for disabled or elderly used to be, but this ceased some time ago.
I also have concerns about the angle of the disabled toilet door in the narrow passageway to the general toilets. I don't know if this is a problem for wheelchair users, but I can see it might be. It could involve some tight manouevering.
Also a big problem on pretty much all public transport is non disabled people using disabled seats and wheelchair spaces. People with non-folding buggies and prams are the worst culprits, but generally able bodied people in the very limited number of disabled seats on some trains can be an issue. I walk with a stick, fast, and don't look very disabled, but I am in near constant pain and having extra space, and being near the door and toilet, can make a huge difference to my pain and energy levels when travelling. So I would just ask everyone who travels on public transport, to please think very hard before taking disabled spaces and seats, and to offer them to disabled and elderly people, as many of us have had such bad experiences that we won't be able to rick asking you to move, however much in pain we may be.
From Christopher Reason
Tuesday, 27 January 2015
I too am partially sighted. When the ticket office isn't staffed I find buying tickets at the machine immensely difficult. It would help if the print were a lot larger and the screen display didn't change so quickly. Sometimes I have to input my request and data three or four times before I can do it quickly enough. It's immensely frustrating.
From Jonathan Timbers
Thursday, 29 January 2015
I have similar issues to Ruth, particularly in the winter months when my impairment is particularly painful.
On a practical note, I would like the railings on the stairs to the underpass (from platform 1 to 2) to come up further than it does. Currently, I have to angle myself on my stick over the stairs, grab the railing and swing myself onto the first step, which is neither comfortable nor safe.
Repairing the platform roofs would also be helpful as wet and damp make my condition worse.
From Ruth L
Saturday, 14 February 2015
Just a further thought that if they are expecting a lot more disabled people through Hebden Bridge station once the lifts are installed, it would be a good idea to separate the baby change facilities away from the RADAR disabled toilet, as some of us can't wait for the loo long enough for parents to sort out their kiddies.
There may be more disabled people coming through than you might think, since half of Todmorden station isn't accessible, and Walsden station, which is accessible, has no facilities.
Also, what of disabled parking spaces? I don't drive, so I don't know, but maybe we need some near the station entrance?