Blackburn Railway Station's disabled lift now working (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Blackburn Railway Station's disabled lift now working

4:02pm Tuesday 13th December 2011 in Blackburn By Neil Docking, Reporter

REVAMP Blackburn railway station

A DISABLED people's lift is finally working at Blackburn Railway Station – two months after the opening of the £1.7million platform four.

Blackburn MP Jack Straw officially unveiled the renovated platform on October 21 this year after five months’ work by Network Rail contractors.

Designed to make travelling on the Clitheroe line a more comfortable experience, the improvements included a heated waiting room, new lighting, passenger information screens, a public address system and CCTV cameras.

But the lift, which rail bosses said would make the platform more easily accessible to disabled passengers and those with luggage, was out of order from October 11 until yesterday afternoon.

Funding for the development was provided by Access For All For Life, the National Stations Improvement Programme and Blackburn with Darwen Council.

Brian Todd, of Blackburn with Darwen Older People’s Forum, said he had been past the lift several times to check if it was working.

He said: “We had a great razzmatazz about the wonderful new improvements and the one thing that was really important stopped working after the first day. It is ludicrous.”

Ruth Bell, chairman of Blackburn And Darwen Access Group, said the delay had been ‘disappointing’.

She said: “You expect these things to be operational when people spend a lot of money to try and get the facilities disabled people require.”

Eric Riach, of Blackburn Rovers Disabled Supporters Association, said he could not understand why the problem had not been solved sooner.

Network Rail said the lift had been out of order due to a faulty emergency telephone line.

He added: “We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused but the issues have been resolved and passengers can now benefit from safe and easy access to platform four.”