- New lift at Daisy Hill station marks the start of a rolling programme to deliver step-free access across Greater Manchester
- Completed work at Daisy Hill allows passengers to travel directly into Manchester city centre within 35 minutes, with step-free travel
- Transport for Greater Manchester to deliver upgrades at 10 stations over the next three years – twice as many as the past decade
- Better and more accessible stations, and routes to them, key to enabling growth and improving services for everyone
Members of the community and accessibility campaigners joined Bolton Council Leader, Nick Peel, and MP for Bolton West, Phil Brickell, to mark the official opening of a new lift at Daisy Hill station, providing passengers step-free access for the first time.
The completed scheme makes the station – which is run by Northern – much easier to use for passengers, especially those who are wheelchair users, have limited mobility, or are travelling with bicycles, pushchairs or luggage.
The new lift is part of a £4m investment in accessibility upgrades at the station, which included installing an accessible toilet, enhancing the station’s accessible car parking facilities and upgrades to the ticket office and booking hall to create a new lift lobby area.
Completing the scheme marks the beginning of a rolling programme of accessibility works, with Transport for Greater Manchester to deliver step-free upgrades at 10 stations over the next three years – twice as many than in the preceding decade.
Currently, fewer than half of the city-region’s stations (43%) are accessible. Using money from the government’s City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) and the Department for Transport’s Access for All scheme, 63% of Greater Manchester’s stations will be step-free by March 2028.
This forms part of Greater Manchester’s wider plans to bring eight commuter rail lines into the Bee Network by 2028, building a more inclusive and accessible public transport network and delivering major improvements to stations, services and passenger experience.
The Leader of Bolton Council, Cllr Nick Peel, said: “Bolton was among the first areas to join the Bee Network back in 2023 and I’m proud that we’re now also home to the first of the railway stations that will see accessibility improvements.
“Public transport is a vital lifeline for many people in our communities including those with disabilities and I would like to thank our local councillors for their hard work on this campaign.
“Making stations accessible is not a ‘nice to have’, it brings an essential service into the reach of more people and improves their opportunities and quality of life.”
Phil Brickell, MP for Bolton West, said: “It’s heartening that Transport for Greater Manchester has a programme of works in place to improve access for people with disabilities. We need to bring our railways up to a standard that adheres to the 2010 Equality Act and into the 21st century. The lack of accessibility across railway stations in Bolton West is something which needs to be addressed.
“I’m very grateful for the tireless work that Cllr David Chadwick has put into ensuring that Daisy Hill station has accessible facilities to the platform. He has been a true advocate for those with disabilities to be able to travel on the rail network. Whilst there is still work to be done on other stations to make the railway a truly accessible form of travel, this is a great step in the right direction for the residents of Westhoughton.”
Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy said: “Thanks to £2.75m of Government funding, a new lift and improved accessible facilities at Daisy Hill station will change how people get around Greater Manchester – paving the way for better connections around the UK.
“We’re clear in our ambitions for our transport network to be accessible so people can travel easily, confidently, and with dignity, so it’s great to see the impact our Access for All programme is making.”
Passengers at Daisy Hill can now walk or wheel to the station and benefit from step-free travel directly into central Manchester within 35 minutes.
Accessibility campaigner, Nathaniel Yates, welcomed the improvements at Daisy Hill station and the rolling programme of improvements. He said: “The installation of the new lift at Daisy Hill station is great progress and I’m delighted that it is now open for people to use.
“I’m sure it will make a real difference to the wellbeing of people who require step-free access and potentially it will unlock another mode of transport for people who live in the Daisy Hill area.”
Work to install lifts at Irlam station are also due to complete this spring, while step-free access schemes at Swinton, Hindley, Bryn and Reddish North are all scheduled to be underway next year. Improvements at Flowery Field, Newton for Hyde, Bredbury and Levenshulme are to follow.
Dame Sarah Storey, Greater Manchester’s Active Travel Commissioner, said: “People with disabilities or mobility issues should be able to make seamless journeys across the city-region and there shouldn’t be barriers to anyone using trains to reach their destination.
“The much-needed accessibility improvements at Daisy Hill station are a welcome first step towards our ambition to make every station accessible for people with disabilities, as well as those with pushchairs and bikes, in Greater Manchester.
“Through the Bee Network we can build an inclusive public transport system that truly works for everyone, supporting growth, jobs and access to opportunity. While we look to make more stations step-free we also need to audit and make sure that the routes to them are safe and accessible for people walking, wheeling and cycling that part of their journey.”
The improvements at Daisy Hill station are part of a collaborative effort between Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), Northern, and Network Rail, with funding provided by the Department for Transport’s Access for All Scheme and GMCA.
Craig Harrop, regional director for Northern, said: “We’re delighted these fantastic new facilities are open and are confident they will make it easier for disabled customers and people with limited mobility to use Daisy Hill station.
“We are working closely with partners like Transport for Greater Manchester to improve accessibility for people who travel across our vast network and give them the confidence to travel by train. Despite the progress we have made, we are not complacent and always welcome feedback so we can continue to make improvements and provide the best possible service.”
Tommy Fleming, Network Rail’s sponsor for the project, said: “The newly installed lifts at Daisy Hill station are an important milestone in our commitment to making rail travel more welcoming and accessible for all.
“It has been an honour to contribute to making Daisy Hill station step-free. Accessible stations make it easier for people to visit friends, get to the shops or to work. They are of critical importance to people who cannot travel without step-free access. We are determined to do as much as we can to promote accessible travel across Greater Manchester.”
Story Contracting has delivered the accessibility improvements at Daisy Hill station, which included using a 350-tonne crane to lift the new structure into place on the platform.
Martin Smith, Regional Director for Story Contracting, said: “We are delighted to have delivered the construction works for Daisy Hill’s step-free access scheme on behalf of Transport for Greater Manchester. This project is a fantastic example of how we work collaboratively with our clients to deliver high-quality, community-focused infrastructure improvements.
“At Story Contracting, we are committed to delivering projects that improve connectivity and accessibility, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with TfGM to enhance rail travel across Greater Manchester.”
