Reminder for West Midlands Railway passengers ahead of Wolverhampton lift improvement works

Passengers are being reminded about work starting next week to overhaul a lift which serves one of Wolverhampton station\'s busiest platforms.

The £250k investment will improve the reliability of the passenger lift on platform one.

Work will start on Monday 11 January and is due to be finished in late April. During this time, the lift will be out of use.

The lift on platform 1 provides step-free access from the station entrance to platforms 2a, 2b, 3 and 4.

For passengers this will mean:

* There will be no step-free access to or from platforms 2a, 2b, 3 and 4 between Monday 11 January and Tuesday 20 April 2021.

* There will still be step-free access from the station entrance to platforms 1, 5 and 6, and from those platforms to the station exit.

* Passengers requiring step-free access to platforms 2a, 2b, 3 and 4 are advised to travel to Birmingham New Street or Smethwick Galton Bridge, where road transport will be provided for passengers to complete journeys.

* To book assisted train travel, passengers should call West Midlands Railway on 0800 024 8998.

Tom Wadsworth, senior asset engineer for buildings at Network Rail, said: "This lift upgrade will improve Wolverhampton station as we get it in the best possible shape for passengers when measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 can be eased. The work is a key step in ensuring the station remains accessible for everyone for years to come.

"We're asking passengers with additional accessibility needs who must travel during this latest coronavirus lockdown to plan their journeys in advance while the platform one lift is out of use. People can do this by booking assisted travel in advance either through www.wmr.uk/assistance or by calling 0800 024 8998."

Brenda Lawrence, head of stations for West Midlands Railway, said: "Making sure the railway is accessible for everyone is a priority for us and these improvements will enhance the journey experience for customers using our fantastic newly-built station at Wolverhampton.

"Fewer people are using the railway at the moment but we are encouraging any passengers who do need to travel and require assistance to contact us in advance wherever possible."

Passengers are being advised to allow extra time for their journeys and to plan ahead on the National Rail Enquiries journey planner at www.nationalrail.co.uk.

For more advice on assisted travel visit www.wmr.uk/assistance or call West Midlands Railway on 0800 024 8998.