A society for the elderly in Spalding has criticised temporary access arrangements at the railway station.
East Midlands Trains has come under fire for suggesting that passengers unable to use the footbridge to reach Platform 2 should board trains at Sleaford.
The change came about after a level crossing at the station – which enabled step-free access from one platform to the other – was removed as part of safety improvements.
Welland Seniors Forum, which has more than 100 members aged 55 upwards, calls the suggestion “ludicrous” and “an insult to disabled travellers”.
Forum vice-chairman Geoff Perkins thought the change had been made by someone “totally devoid of common sense”.
He has written to East Midlands Trains suggesting a tweak to the timetable to enable the only two northbound trains still using Platform 2 – the 08.51 and 13.03 – to depart from Platform 1 five minutes earlier.
Mr Perkins believes it is possible as the recent GNGE line upgrade has made the journey time for all trains between Peterborough and Spalding “five or six minutes quicker”. Therefore, he says it would allow the 09.01 and 13.06 services to Peterborough depart five minutes later – well after the northbound trains are clear.
East Midlands Trains said: “We understand accessibility is a vital issue for many of our passengers and we have worked closely with Network Rail to minimise the impacts on passengers caused by the closure of Spalding level crossing.
“The majority of northbound trains between Peterborough, Spalding and Lincoln arrive and depart from Platform 1, which has step-free access. A small number of services, however, do depart from Platform 2 and any passengers who may need assistance travelling from Spalding, or would like further details or advice, can contact our dedicated customer helpline before travelling on 03457 125678.
“We are continuing to work closely with Network Rail to find ways of providing better step free access at Spalding station.”
