Weston’s MP has called for improved safety for blind and partially sighted people at Weston-super-Mare and Weston Milton train stations, after discussions with Guide Dogs UK.
Weston and Milton stations, like a third of train stations in the UK, do not currently have tactile surfaces installed on the edge of their platforms. The bumps on these tactile surfaces help people with sight loss know when they are close to the platform edge.
John wrote to the Chair of Network Rail, Sir Peter Hendy, setting out his concerns and asking that new safety measures are introduced to both stations. Network Rail have replied promising both Weston-super-Mare and Weston Milton stations will get the safety upgrade, but without an immediate deadline for the work to be completed.
John said, “It’s often hard to put ourselves in the position of someone with sight loss, so it was really helpful to hear from Guide Dogs UK about this simple, practical and potentially lifesaving change that makes our train stations safer. It’s great that Network Rail has promised to upgrade our two local stations that haven’t got the tactile strips yet, but now we need a firm date for the work. At the moment they’ve only promised it will happen before 2029, which is much too far down the line. Let’s see if we can get them to speed this process up.”
John Penrose MP Calls For Safer Stations for Blind and Partially Sighted People
