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National Rail Step Free Access Map

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Alex27

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Hello everybody,
I recently created a step free access map of the national rail network (please visit my website where I will be keeping it updated - www.grafxcraft.com/atmdesign). Any feedback on my map would be very useful, particularly if you have local knowledge of a stations accessibility (my information is sourced from national rail enquiries, so should be accurate, but it's possible I may have got some things wrong). It would also be incredibly useful if people could let me know when a station is upgraded.
Many thanks, Alex
 
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TheSel

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Is it intentional that stations with no step-free access are omitted entirely, rather than being shown, but in a different font / colour / with a suitable note etc?
 

[.n]

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What would be useful is that some stations whilst notionally being step-free, do NOT allow you to cross platforms step-free without significant hassle - specifically where there are only two platforms.

Two examples are (around a 20 minute walk to change if you have limited mobility / wheelchair)

Dorchester South (can't go between the London and Weymouth platforms)
Dorchester West (cant go between the Bristol and Weymouth platforms

In both cases when travelling towards Weymouth, it can be quicker/easier to go to Weymouth and then travel back. In fact it may be quicker to go from the 2 Dorchester stations than change platforms.
 

London Trains

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What would be useful is that some stations whilst notionally being step-free, do NOT allow you to cross platforms step-free without significant hassle - specifically where there are only two platforms.

Two examples are (around a 20 minute walk to change if you have limited mobility / wheelchair)

Dorchester South (can't go between the London and Weymouth platforms)
Dorchester West (cant go between the Bristol and Weymouth platforms

In both cases when travelling towards Weymouth, it can be quicker/easier to go to Weymouth and then travel back. In fact it may be quicker to go from the 2 Dorchester stations than change platforms.

There definitely are a large amount of stations you have to leave the station and use the road that goes under/over the railway to crossover step-free. Dorchester South appears a much exaggerated version of this, with the nearest roads with bridges/underpasses crossing the railway very far from the station.
 

Alex27

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I have in included a 'no accessible interchange within 400m' symbol (an 'I' in a red circle with a diagonal line through it) to demonstrate where this is the case
 

Dr Hoo

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But it isn't really about 'interchange'. A typical scenario is a return journey having parked on 'one side'. This might be very handy for the departure platform. On arrival back 'the other side' there can then be a very unwelcome and indirect trek back to the car via public roads.
 

Alex27

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Good point, in cases like that I believe I put an 'assistance might be required' symbol, but beyond that I currently don't have any symbol, but if you have any suggestions how to represent this on the map I'm open to suggestions
 

Farningham

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This is a brilliant idea but I can't get the website or the downloaded PDF to have sufficient resolution to make out the symbols against station names. Perhaps if it were in sections?
 

50039

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Cheddington shows step free to platform 1 which is correct... but it’s the down fast and nothing stops there... The new footbridge they put in a couple of years back has the starter brackets for lifts to be added in the future...

Tring now has a new footbridge and lifts but they are not yet installed/commissioned... but will be soon.... will try to remember to update you when they come into service
 

Alex27

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Many thanks for letting me know, I think I'll put cheddington as having a very limited accessible service, as I'm assuming the platform is still technically in use? (Even if it sees little / no trains)
 

50039

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Many thanks for letting me know, I think I'll put cheddington as having a very limited accessible service, as I'm assuming the platform is still technically in use? (Even if it sees little / no trains)
Technically yes - but only when there’s engineering work or some other upset condition
 

Alex27

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I'm now in the process of creating smaller, regional versions of the map, which should be easier to download
 

py_megapixel

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I have in included a 'no accessible interchange within 400m' symbol (an 'I' in a red circle with a diagonal line through it) to demonstrate where this is the case
Don't know about "not within 400m" but certainly a long distance is Stonehouse and neighbouring Stroud. In both cases step free interchange requires going round a long way by road.

In addition for Stonehouse, the description "PLEASE NOTE - HST’S CANNOT SET DOWN OR PICK UP WHEELCHAIRS AT THIS STATION, ONLY LOCAL TRAINS CAN BE USED" is not strictly correct because there are no longer HSTs in service on that line, and the new IET units can pick up wheelchairs as far as I'm aware.
 

Alex27

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Ok, thanks for letting me know about Stonehouse, I was just quoting national rail enquiries, but in all honesty I'm not convinced that the info provided on there is 100% accurate all of the time
 

Alex27

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I think the reason I went with under 400m is so that it's consistent, rather than being judged as 'reasonable', which technically means it doesn't affect Stroud, but I've never been there in person, so I might change to whether it's 'reasonable' or not, rather than being under 400m, but it's quite hard to judge so any advice on this station and others would be much appreciated
 

py_megapixel

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I think the reason I went with under 400m is so that it's consistent, rather than being judged as 'reasonable', which technically means it doesn't affect Stroud, but I've never been there in person, so I might change to whether it's 'reasonable' or not, rather than being under 400m, but it's quite hard to judge so any advice on this station and others would be much appreciated
I have been there a few times before - essentially although it is slightly shorter than 400m, Stroud is quite hilly and the wheelchair accessible route requires crossing a roundabout, so it takes some time and is inconvenient.
 

nr758123

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Marsden station is shown as having accessibility westbound, to platform 3. Unfortunately platform 3 is no longer used, and all westbound trains call at the thoroughly non-accessible platform 2.
 

J-P_L

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Think it’s a very good resource. Just two bits I’ve noticed...

On the Chat Moss line to Liverpool, Newton Le Willows has been omitted which is fully accessible. Also typo on the York to Leeds line, it’s Micklefield not Mickleford.
 

Alex27

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Thank you for all of your help everybody it's incredibly useful, I've edited the map. Also can't believe I completely missed Newton-le-Willows:s
 

markymark2000

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My thoughts are that the map is VERY big and to get any useful information, you have to zoom in quite far.
Not sure on your thoughts but I would probably make lines at the extreme ends not go the correct way. For example making Inverness to Wick go 'east' rather than 'north'. This then means you can reduce the page size and this then might become a bit more useful. Moving stations west of Exeter a bit closer together could also help you reduce the page size.

Otherwise, it's a decent map.
 

scrapy

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Rose Hill Marple has 'no Sunday service' which is absolutely correct, however by putting it at one station people may assume that all other stations on the map have a Sunday service, of course many others do not. Hyde North, Hyde Central and Woodley are examples on the same line. If this is a map about accessibility I would be tempted not to over complicate it with service levels which can easily be looked up on journey planners.

Just on a side note Westhoughton is spelt wrong but otherwise it could be a very useful resource.
 

[.n]

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Good point, in cases like that I believe I put an 'assistance might be required' symbol, but beyond that I currently don't have any symbol, but if you have any suggestions how to represent this on the map I'm open to suggestions


I think in the examples I gave regarding places like Dorchester South perhaps some kind of One Way accessibility symbol might be useful?
 
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