New disabled lifts 'too small' for wheelchair

Vikki Walton-Cole said the lifts at Leatherhead Station were "very uncomfortable"

A woman has claimed new accessibility lifts installed at a Surrey train station are too small for her wheelchair.

At an event marking their official opening, wheelchair-user Vikki Walton-Cole told BBC Radio Surrey the lifts at Leatherhead Station – which formed part of a £6.2m investment – were "very uncomfortable".

The co-chair of the Surrey Coalition of Disabled People said the lifts needed to have a bigger entrance and a longer and wider internal platform, as it was "virtually impossible" to fit luggage or another person in the lift with her.

Lucy McAuliffe, Network Rail's Sussex route director, said she was sorry to hear there were concerns about the new lifts.

"Whilst they are fully compliant with national standards, we fully appreciate the frustrations raised," she said.

Ms McAuliffe added that when installing lifts at old, historic stations, limited space meant not every wheelchair or mobility scooter would fit as comfortably as others.

The Leatherhead station did not have any lifts before the improvements

Ms McAuliffe said Network Rail was looking to make the rail network "more accessible" for all passengers, including families with buggies, wheelchair users and people who did not feel confident using the stairs.

The new lifts and footbridge, which provide step-free access to each platform, were unveiled on Friday, following work that began in January 2024.

The station, served by Southern and South Western Railway, previously had no lift access.

Epsom & Ewell MP Helen Maguire said the improvements would make a "massive difference for so many individuals who have found it difficult to use the station".

The Liberal Democrat said there were a number of constraints on Network Rail, such as finance and space, but added that the correct lifts for everyone should be installed where possible.