Wheelchair user celebrates new lift at Birkenhead Park station

Installing a lift at the station means wheelchair users will find it easier to board trains

A wheelchair user will be able to take the lift at his local station after he and his foster mother campaigned for 27 years for better disabled access.

John Mahoney and his foster mother Sue campaigned for the changes to be made at Birkenhead Park Merseyrail Station.

A new lift has opened at the railway station as part of a wider £10m accessibility investment across the network.

Mr Mahoney said: "It means I can now go to the theatre more.

"I am very excited.

"I am very happy. Thank you so much to all the people who have helped."

Birkenhead Park is the first of five stations with funding to have lifts installed.

Stations in Hunt's Cross, St Michael's, Hillside and Broadgreen are also set to become more accessible.

Sue Mahoney said: "It is absolutely amazing. They have actually listened to disabled people. It is overwhelming."

'Really proud'

She said when her son was younger, he used a smaller wheelchair so going up and down the 16 steps at the station was less difficult but when he grew older, using the station became a struggle.

"Other stations weren't an option.

"The routes between here and the other nearest station were just not accessible and we had to go on the road because of drops in the pavement," she added.

It is now the 58th Merseyrail station to be considered step-free with Rock Ferry expected to be a strong candidate for a future funding bid, according to Liam Robinson, Chair of Liverpool's Transport Committee.

Councillor Liz Grey, who represents Bidston and St James, said she had been campaigning on the issue since she became a councillor in 2018 alongside councillor Julie McManus.

"I worked really hard on this. It was my first issue as a candidate and a new councillor. We are both really excited and proud," Ms Grey said.

Ms Mahoney said she was glad the community had backed the scheme adding: "The work was quite noisy but nobody cared, nobody complained."

She said she would continue to campaign for more stations to be made accessible because: "It just shows that it is possible. If everyone works together it is possible."