Stroud one of 19 stations to have accessibility upgrades shelved
Government sets criteria for allocating funds to railway accessibility projects
The government has announced that accessibility upgrades at 19 railway stations across Britain, including Stroud, will not be progressing at this stage due to funding constraints.
The plans, part of the Access for All (AfA) programme, aim to deliver step-free accessible routes across railway stations.
Ministers have based their decisions on criteria that include passenger footfall, geographic spread, existing technical development, and third-party funding contributions.
Out of 50 stations announced for feasibility work in 2024, eight stations will move directly to delivery while 23 will progress to detailed design stages.
Stroud railway station has been included in the list of stations not moving forward, alongside others such as Bushey, Leagrave, and South Croydon.
Rail Minister Huw Merriman said MPs for the affected stations have been written to and offered meetings to discuss the decisions made.
Although there is potential for a future round of AfA funding, details on the process and timings for identifying new projects have yet to be decided.
The government has committed to reforming the AfA programme as it moves toward the establishment of Great British Railways and plans to encourage third-party funding contributions in future accessibility schemes.
Since the inception of the AfA programme in 2006, over 270 stations have successfully been upgraded to provide step-free access for passengers.
You can find out more about the programme on the GOV.UK website.