Proposed Maintenance of Railway Stations Legislative Competence Order

Eleanor Burnham

Pre-ballot Information: Outline Proposed Legislative Competence Order

Outline of proposed Order

Amend the relevant field of Schedule 5 to the Government of Wales Act 2006 to make provisions relating to the maintenance of railway stations.

Pre-ballot Information: Explanatory Memorandum

Policy Objectives of the Proposed Order

This LCO will be used to ensure that railway stations across Wales are suitable for the 21^st century. This will include ensuring accessibility to all, ensuring a pleasant environment and making stations act as a community gateway.

Central to this is providing disabled access at stations. In 2007, it was estimated that just 236 of Wales’ stations had adequate disabled access. A number of high-profile cases where stations have not complied with sufficient standards have shown that a more sustainable system is needed to ensure that all of Wales’ citizens are able to access its stations.

As well as this, stations undergoing major refurbishment should work towards having sufficient facilities, including lighting, to ensure that they reach the standards acceptable for a modern rail network. This would include working towards all parking facilities complying with the same standard.

Finally, we would seek to move railway stations towards acting as a community gateway, with all stations providing contemporary information on the facilities and amenities available in the communities they serve.