Cheadle Hulme Station success

6.17.39pm GMT Tue 26th Jan 2010

Mark and the local Lib Dems have achieved success with their campaign for a better Cheadle Hulme Station

Radical improvements are to take place at Cheadle Hulme Railway Station - including disabled access - after a lengthy campaign by local MP Mark Hunter and the local Liberal Democrat team.

The major revamp, which was formally announced last Friday (22nd January) by Network Rail will enable people to access the station platforms directly from the car park with a new foot bridge over the tracks and lifts serving all platforms. Work is set to begin on the station in the Autumn of this year, with the finishing date expected to be early 2011.

Mark, the local Lib Dem councillors and the Cheadle & District Rail User Group had been lobbying rail authorities about the station, particularly about the lack of disabled access and the generally run-down appearance of the station.

Many local residents have been in contact with Mark about the need for improvements to the situation. Mark has asked questions in Parliament about the delays in starting this much needed work and only recently wrote to Lord Adonis, the Transport Minister, to press for action.

Commenting, Mark said:

"I am delighted to see that after all our hard work we are going to see the revamp that this local station really deserves.

"Cheadle Hulme is a busy station but has started to look careworn in recent years, and frankly it's scandalous that we have had to wait so long for better access for disabled people and others who can't use the stairs.

"Nonetheless, this is - finally - great news and I'd like to thank all those who have contacted me about this issue, and all those that have been involved in the local rail users group - it really shows what can be achieved when we all work together!"