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FRECCLES - Friends of Eccles Station
* Click here for real-time train running information for Eccles *
Moves on improving accessibility at Eccles Station
As all its rail passengers know, Eccles Station is not at all accessible for people with disabilities, buggies or wheeled luggage. There are 35 steps down to each platform. Now at last there is some sort of movement happening behind the scenes which could result eventually in the installation of lifts.
Greater Manchester's Bee Network Committee has agreed to review the criteria used to prioritise station accessibility schemes, and to apply refreshed criteria to establish a revised programme. Until now Eccles Station has had very low priority in this programme.
As part of this work, TfGM will be taking forward the following actions:
- Review and update the assessment criteria for station accessibility schemes, to ensure that they reflect current and emerging growth, regeneration and demand, and that appropriate weight is given to inclusive access at key transport hubs such as Eccles.
- Re-baseline and reprioritise the Access for All programme using the refreshed criteria, working with local authorities to ensure that up-to-date regeneration and housing plans are fully captured. A revised prioritised programme will then be brought back to the Bee Network Committee for consideration.
- Explore opportunities to accelerate delivery where possible, including consideration of potential funding routes that could support earlier delivery of accessibility improvements at Eccles Rail Station.
This action by the Bee Network Committee has been taken as a result of pressure from FRECCLES, local Councillors and Michael Wheeler MP for Worsley and Eccles.
Who are FRECCLES ?
FRECCLES was established on 15th September 2005, the 175th anniversary of the opening of the world's first main line passenger railway between Manchester and Liverpool through Eccles on 15th September 1830. Working in partnership with ACoRP, TfGM, Salford City Council, Northern Rail and Network Rail, we aim to improve the environment and passenger services at Eccles Station and the immediate surrounding area and to put the station back into the heart of the community.
Now in its twentyfirst year, FRECCLES can claim to be well on the way to achieving many of these objectives. Certainly we have the strong support of all the above organisations, which recognise the work we have carried out to transform the appearance of the station. This recognition has been accompanied by significant funding which has heped us, for example, in our gardening work. However, we still lack a frequent train service - surely the most important facility one would hope to find at a railway station - and one which our many supporters in the local community expect us to correct at a stroke !
Freccles has a membership of around 40 and at least half of these are very active, being members of at least one of our subgroups - Service Development, Gardening, Heritage, Publicity and Funding. Some of these groups have separate sections on this website where you can find out more about their work. If you would like to join us, or to find out more about FRECCLES, you can contact us by email at info@freccles.org.uk or visit the Freccles page on Facebook.