Burnham-On-Sea MP Ashley Fox has experienced for himself the long‑running accessibility problems at Highbridge & Burnham Railway Station during a visit to support the Town Council’s campaign for improvements.
The MP used a mobility scooter to travel between the two platforms, following the same route that wheelchair and scooter users must currently take.
With no step‑free link inside the station, passengers are forced to exit the site, travel along poorly maintained pavements, and cross the Walrow railway bridge before re‑entering on the opposite side.
Mr Fox said the journey highlighted how difficult the situation is for many local rail users.
The route includes uneven and poorly maintained pavements, making it challenging and, at times, unsafe for those with limited mobility.
Accessibility at the station has been a concern for years, with local councillors and residents calling for a permanent solution such as a lift or new access bridge.
While GWR and Somerset Council are due to upgrade station signage in the coming months, funding for major structural improvements has not yet been secured.
A public consultation period earlier this year gathered feedback from passengers on the changes they would like to see.
Speaking after his visit, Ashley Fox MP told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “I’m backing the Town Council’s campaign to improve accessibility at Highbridge & Burnham station.”
”If we are serious about being inclusive, there should be step-free access to both sides of the train line.”
He added that using a mobility scooter, loaned by Apex Mobility, brought home the scale of the problem: “It felt difficult, frustrating and unsafe.”
Mr Fox also noted that similar issues exist at Bridgwater station and said he will continue pressing GWR, National Rail and Government Ministers to deliver the improvements needed so that “everyone can access our rail network with confidence.”
