For many years now the residents and users of Wymondham Railway Station in Norfolk have been promised improvements to make both platforms accessible for all. Platform 2 is only accessible via a large number of steps and a bridge crossing the train lines.

As Chair of Wymondham Access Group this is an issue that has been consistently raised with us by a wide range of the community. People with wheelchairs like myself cannot use platform 2 meaning we have to travel either to Norwich and change or to Attleborough and change or taxi back home. This makes journeys more difficult to plan and often results in having to leave much earlier to ensure changes can be made and assistance available at a number of stations. We have also received messages from parents who struggle to get children, pushchairs and shopping across the bridges so choose not to use the station, we have had holiday makers report that they struggle with suitcases and therefore choose to either drive or coach to airports and those with less severe disabilities or mobility issues find the crossing exhausting. Creating proper access to platform 2 will allow the whole community to use the train station and the businesses on platform 2. The train station is beautiful, but under used due to the access problems.

During building works to the railway bridge adjacent to the station temporary crossings have been put in place allowing people to cross the tracks. This is one of many solutions that could be worked on. George Freeman our local MP has been contacted by numerous residents over the years and in the run up to the recent 2017 General elections tweeted me to say it was unacceptable and that he was on the case. This has been the message from various people for a number of years and it was discussed as part of a Norfolk County Council strategic plan in 2012 and we appear no closer to a solution. The residents and visitors to Wymondham deserve a fully functioning and accessible for all train station, they deserve better. Abellio Greater Anglia have in the past said if their contract was renewed they would work towards a solution, this was renewed in August 2016 for 9 years and we have had no contact from them as an orgaisation. When contacted by the local press last year Wymondham Access Group raised awareness of this in the EDP and we gained a lot of local support. We were told that there were a number of stakeholders involved in the process and that it was complicated. This was a year ago now and other than one tweet there has been no contact and we seem to be no closer to a solution.

We will present this petition to all the major stakeholders and hope that they will engage with the residents, Town Council and local community to design a clearly defined plan of how access can be achieved, how it will be funded and a timescale to work to.