Local MP Backs Campaign for Accessible Trains

12.00.00am GMT Wed 16th Jun 2004

Annette Brooke, MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole, has backed a campaign run by leading disability charity Leonard Cheshire to bring forward the earliest possible date for all rail vehicles to be accessible to disabled people.

Leonard Cheshire's All Aboard! campaign highlighted the very real barriers that many disabled people continue to face in accessing the rail network, and called on the Government to ensure that all trains are made accessible by 2017.

"Far too many trains are still inaccessible to disabled people," Annette Brooke MP said. "Lack of accessible transport continues to be a massive obstacle to disabled people getting jobs and socialising. I hope that Leonard Cheshire's campaign will be successful in helping to change this."

A recent report by a Parliamentary Committee into the Draft Disability Discrimination Bill has backed up the charity's call and Annette Brooke has also supported the campaign by signing a Parliamentary Early Day Motion.

"We need to have a fully accessible rail network for the sake of everyone in our community," the MP said. "I hope that the Government will listen to Leonard Cheshire's call and set a deadline of 2017 for the whole network."

Leonard Cheshire's Head of Policy, John Knight, thanked the MP for signing the motion.

"The more support we can get for this campaign the better," John Knight said. "Over 130 MPs have backed our campaign so far and I think that this will send the Government a powerful message that the rail network needs to be fully accessible for all disabled people. Further delay is completely unacceptable."