Monmouthshire council putting £1.4m towards Chepstow station
Chepstow Mount Pleasant councillor Paul Pavia said: 'Step free access isn't an option it is mandatory. Passengers have to travel to Lydney or Gloucester first to come back to travel west.'
The Conservative criticised Network Rail, which is responsible for tracks and other infrastructure on the railways, for failing to put in place access improvements at Chepstow and the Equality and Human Rights Commission which he said has been 'slow' to ensure the railways are meeting disability discrimination legislation.
Monmouthshire County Council was asked to make up to £1.4m available from its funds for the scheme intended to provide parking and turning areas for buses at the station, additional car parking spaces and improve the station with the addition of public toilets and possibly a wating room.
Council deputy leader Paul Griffiths said an access bridge is 'very much needed' but said Network Rail hasn't been able to meet the timetable the council has to spend the £5m awarded by the UK Government but the authority would continue to lobby it to invest in a bridge.
Cllr Pavia suggested access could be created to the westbound platform across land already in Network Rail's ownership and Cllr Griffiths said he would make Network Rail aware of all comments on access made by councillors.
The original plan, developed by the previous Conservative council administration, was to only provide a bus parking and turning area, at the front of the station, as well as other traffic improvements in the town but that was rejected by the then UK Government.
However in its autumn statement in November 2023 it made a surprise announcement it would provide £5m for the bus turning area and the Labour councillor said since then it has managed to persuade the government to allow it to extend the period it has to spend the money and make the other changes at the station.
Cllr Griffiths said there was also concern at the loss of parking spaces for the original bus turning area.
He also suggested the existing C1 Bus, that goes from Chepstow Hospital to the Bulwark and the Tesco store, would be able to call at the railway station while buses serving Tintern could also make use of it, improving services for tourists.
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