Dorset MP urges government to reopen Weymouth train station toilets after 14 years of closure
It’s been promised that Weymouth train station’s closed toilets will be reopened when railways are brought back into public hands
A Dorset MP has called on the government to reopen toilets at Weymouth train station, which have been closed for more than a decade, saying their continued closure creates a significant barrier for disabled passengers.
South Dorset MP Lloyd Hatton raised the issue during the Second Reading of the Railway Bill in the House of Commons, as ministers set out plans to establish Great British Railways (GBR) – a new publicly owned body that will run rail infrastructure and oversee performance and standards across the network.
Despite serving a town of almost 50,000 people, Weymouth station has not had working public toilets since 2011.
They were closed following vandalism and what rail bosses described at the time as “unacceptable levels” of antisocial behaviour, including drug use.
Campaigners have repeatedly called for the facilities to reopen, arguing they are essential for elderly and disabled passengers, parents with young children and those making longer journeys.
Even after a £1 million revamp of the station forecourt in 2023, the toilets remained shut.
Speaking in Parliament, Mr Hatton said: “Despite serving a town of nearly 50,000 people, Weymouth station does not have a working toilet, which presents disabled passengers with a huge barrier to travel.”
He said he hoped the creation of Great British Railways would lead to a renewed focus on accessibility across the rail network.
“This legislation and action from the Government to bring our railways back into public hands will help to make our railways and our stations far more accessible to those disabled passengers,” he added.
The Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander, responded by agreeing that the issue should be prioritised.
“This will be at the heart of what GBR does,” she said, adding that Britain’s railways had for too long been “a source of national parody rather than national pride”.
She said the reforms represented a “once-in-a-generation chance” to restore and reimagine the railways, connecting people to jobs, families and opportunities.