Adam Dance MP welcomes investment to improve accessibility at Yeovil Junction

Adam Dance, MP for Yeovil, has welcomed new investment to improve accessibility at Yeovil Junction, after the Government confirmed the station is moving forward under the Access for All programme.

The funding will support detailed design work towards step free access, helping disabled passengers, older residents, parents with pushchairs and anyone who finds the station difficult to use. Improving access at Yeovil Junction will make it easier for people to travel independently and with confidence.

Nationally, fewer than half of Britain’s railway stations have full step free access. In the Yeovil constituency, while Crewkerne station has step free access across the whole station, both Yeovil Pen Mill and Yeovil Junction only have partial access, with key facilities still missing. This means many residents continue to face real barriers when travelling by train.

Adam Dance MP said:

“I have been calling for better accessibility at Yeovil Junction since being elected, so I welcome this progress and the investment now being made.

“Too many people in our area still face barriers when travelling by train. Improving access at Yeovil Junction will make a real difference to people’s independence, confidence and day to day travel.

“This must now lead to real delivery on the ground. I will keep pressing the Government, Network Rail and local partners to make sure Yeovil Junction moves forward to the next stage and that these improvements are delivered as soon as possible.”

Since being elected, Adam has repeatedly raised the need for better accessibility at local stations. In December, he submitted a Parliamentary Written Question asking what steps would be taken to improve access at railway stations across the Yeovil constituency.

In response, Ministers confirmed that Yeovil Junction was included in the list of stations selected for initial feasibility work under the Access for All programme. Network Rail has now completed this work, and the Government has announced that Yeovil Junction will progress to the next stage.

The announcement comes alongside wider national plans to improve rail accessibility. The Government has published a Roadmap to an Accessible Railway and confirmed that Great British Railways will have a clear duty to put passengers and accessibility at the heart of decision making across the rail network.

Adam said he will continue working with Network Rail, Somerset Council and Ministers to make the strongest possible case for Yeovil Junction to move from design to delivery.