There is good news today for people with reduced mobility and parents with buggies as Irish Rail and the NTA have announced that lifts are to be installed at both Laytown and Gormanston Train Stations and that a new “Changing Places” toilet facility is to open at Connolly Station.
The welcome developments are part of a €5.8m investment funded by the National Transport Authority, which includes an additional €2 million allocation from the Department of Transport allowing for acceleration of the programme.
Iarnród Éireann has said that the 2021 programme of investment in lift and escalator replacement and upgrade will benefit passengers of reduced mobility at 22 stations, with two further stations seeing the introduction of new lift facilities being designed and planned.
The upgrade of lifts in train stations is a key step towards making public transport accessible for all. Lifts which are out of service can significantly impact the ability of persons with reduced mobility to access services.
A total of 22 stations – 10 in Dublin city and county, and 12 in the wider network, will see lift replacements or system upgrades between now and the end of this year, in what is the second year of a multi-annual program to improve lift performance and reliability across the network.
Laytown will see the installation of new heavy duty stainless steel electric traction lift in the third quarter of this year and design an planning is already underway for a similar lift at Gormanston station in 2022, subject to planning permission.
The Connolly Station Changing Places accessible toilet was developed with input from Iarnród Éireann’s Disability Users Group, which comprises representative organisations for passengers with reduced mobility, and non-visible disabilities.
Loocal Councillor Sharon Tolan described the announcement as “great news for our commuters at two very busy train stations.”
“Navigating platforms in a wheelchair or indeed with a buggy, is a difficult task” she said and added: “These works will ensure that both stations are equipped to the most up to date standards for persons of reduced mobility.”
