The personal stories behind campaign for Todmorden Rail Station lifts

Gathering at Todmorden Rail Station on the Calder Valley line, they included people who have disabilities explaining how simply travelling by rail is difficult and requires extra planning an expense because the station is not fully accessible.

Frustration comes from the knowledge that funding is in place for the lifts scheme – the Bradford and Leeds direction platform can only be reached by steps, while the Manchester platform can be reached other than by steps only by a steep slope.

Among those who are pressing the case are local councillors and Calder Valley MP Josh Fenton-Glynn, who has worked on getting the lifts for 12 years, through his own days as a councillor to raising it in Parliament with the rail minister earlier this year.

Two of the campaigners explained how their lives are made more difficult by not being able to easily access their own rail station.

Paul Thompson and Meg Kennedy both explained that while they can to travel to Manchester, coming back they have to stay on the train until the next stop down the line from Todmorden, Hebden Bridge, which is accessible.

They both said that then requires a taxi journey home to Todmorden.

Paul said on one journey returning from Manchester, when he had to get off at Todmorden, he had no choice but to come down the steps from the platform on his bottom, on winter’s day.

The usual way home is to get off at Hebden Bridge and get a taxi back – but he pointed out Todmorden station is only minutes from his home.

Also a Todmorden resident, Meg said although the Manchester platform can be reached, it is up a steep slope, difficult in a wheelchair, and the return journey, or one made directly in the Bradford and Leeds direction, where steps are the only option, means going to Hebden Bridge to be able to get off.

It makes what should be a simple journey hard work, she said.

“You’ve got to arrange everything. If I go to Manchester or away for a weekend, I have to make sure I can get off at Hebden Bridge and have to get a taxi – it’s the expense as well,” said Meg.

Mr Fenton-Glynn said the funding and agreement for the project is there.

“They just need to get on with it,” he said.

Todmorden ward councillor Diana Tremayne said after issues including a contractor needing to be replaced Network Rail are taking the project on and approval was back to the design stage.

They are aware there have been a lot of issues and are addressing these which is positive – “but we are worried there will be further slippage” and there was a need to keep it in the public eye, she said.

Above all, said Coun Tremayne: “We want to show it is about real people – people need to access the station – and we want to hear their stories.”

Councillors say they have raised the issue at every relevant West Yorkshire Combined Authority meeting, and earlier this year when the issue was raised with her, Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin agreed everyone should be able to access trains and too many West Yorkshire stations were not accessible.

Department of Transport Access For All funding was secured for the Todmorden project for lifts to serve both platforms in 2019, after years of campaigning.

But people have been left scratching their heads wanting to know why the lifts promised have still not appeared, seven years later.

Lifts serving both platforms were set to be installed in spring 2025, but despite work areas being fenced off, and traffic lights in place outside the station, in 2024, there was no evidence of anything happening, residents including former councillor Clare Townley reported.