Article: Outcry over railway disabled access

[ozbob]

Media release 26th October 2012

SEQ: Disabled access could have been provided more widely

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport passengers has highlighted the upgrade of non accessible railway stations. The issue of disabled access to the suburban rail network has recently captured much media attention. Today, 30 stations in the QR suburban network remain completely inaccessible to wheelchairs and prams (1).

What should be noted however is the very recent missed opportunity to address the issue.

Rail Back on Track member Gavin Seipelt said:

"Upgrading stations to current accessibility requirements  is costly, at around $15-$20 million per station.

"However, in 2011,  QR received $200 million  in funding for the station upgrade program (2).

"This was enough money to upgrade 10 to 14 stations to disabled access, in other words 1/2 to 1/3 of the remaining inaccessible stations would have been fixed.

"Instead, the program opted to spend the money across 50 stations. Funds were spread so thinly that most stations received only minor cosmetic upgrades.

"As a net result, a mere three stations are receiving proper upgrades to allow new disabled access namely, Sandgate, Narangba and Alderley.

"Additionally, some stations received major renovations and new buildings despite already having lifts for example, $10 Million spent at Eagle Junction.

"Things such as landscaping, tiling, new paint schemes and murals, whilst very nice, need to take a back seat for a few years until the remaining 30 inaccessible stations in the network are brought up to standard."

"RAIL Back On Track members believe most of the available funds for station upgrades should go towards lift and ramp installation."

References:

1. http://www.queenslandrail.com.au/AllStations/Pages/CityStationsAccessibility.aspx

2. http://www.queenslandrail.com.au/NETWORKSERVICES/CONSTRUCTIONUPGRADES/CITYNETWORKSTATIONUPGRADES/Pages/default.aspx

Contacts:

Gavin Seipelt
Brisbane West Region Spokesperson for RAIL Back On Track

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[Fares_Fair]

Nambour DDA upgrade was $3.3 million.
It got canned by QR after capital works were slashed.

[Gazza]

^To be fair, Nambour already had at least one route into the station that was ADA compliant.
The access from the Hospital side was a bonus I guess.

I'm not sure why it made it onto the list anyway, surely the 30 stations with zero access take precedence over Nambour, a station with at least some access.

A to do list of 30 stations is more then enough to keep them busy for a few years methinks.

Im suprised Yandina is listed as no accessible, its a single side platform so surely a simple pathway from the drop off loop to the station is all that is needed. (See http://goo.gl/maps/oaOR8 )

...Weekend project really.

[Stillwater]

The railway line divides Nambour, and many of the towns across the SC hinterland.  The bus interchange is on the side of the railway line away from the Nambour Hospital, currently the tertiary hospital for the entire Sunshine Coast (until the SC University Hospital is built at Kawana).  Many people make their way to the hospital by public transport, rail and bus.  They would make their way from the station to the hospital on the hill via the proposed DDA approved ramp and lift.  People in wheelchairs and people with a disability on the west side of town would find it easier to use the proposed lift to reach the shops and commercial precinct on the east of town.

[p858snake]

Re Bindha: It's low usage may also be attributed to the fact its a utter pain to access it. You can only get to it from Northlink Place as the gate at Royal Parade/Park Street corner is permanently closed apart from railbus times (That is unless you work for Golden Circle).

(I work on saint Vincents Road, In almost direct line with Bindah station)

[Gazza]

People in wheelchairs and people with a disability on the west side of town would find it easier to use the proposed lift to reach the shops and commercial precinct on the east of town.

Is their situation  (a 300m total detour to the underpass on Price St) worse than people who have to make bigger detours to actually get to a station in the first place, Eg 2km from the unusable Graceville to either Corinda or Indooroopilly, 6km from Bundamba to Redbank etc etc.

[Set in train]

They'll stop work on improving disabled access yet continue with more fare gates or provisions for them. Ah well, good priorities if in ivory towers.

[SurfRail]

They'll stop work on improving disabled access yet continue with more fare gates or provisions for them. Ah well, good priorities if in ivory towers.

The only stations where fare gates are being installed at the moment are stations where it is already easy to do (Nambour/Cleveland) or where DDA upgrades are being done anyway (Narangba/Sandgate).  Alderley will be DDA compliant and has no gates.