Disabled rail passengers can now enjoy full step-free access to all platforms at Dalmuir and Motherwell stations after an extensive £7 million programme of investment.

A new footbridge with three lifts spanning all five platforms has recently been completed at Dalmuir, while a new footbridge and lift to the one inaccessible platform at Motherwell has also been installed. ScotRail are in the process of installing automatic entrance doors throughout Motherwell Station to complement this work.

Funding for the work at Dalmuir and Motherwell has come from the UK Government's Access for All fund.

Access for All is a Department for Transport fund, administered in Scotland by Transport Scotland, which was launched in 2006 to address issues at railway stations faced by disabled passengers. Construction work was delivered by Network Rail.

As well as improvements to Dalmuir and Motherwell, Access for All is also funding much sought-after step-free enhancements to Cupar Station.

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Network Rail is currently progressing designs for ramp access to the southbound platform at Cupar and scheduled to commence work on site in spring 2010. This will create a step-free route between both platforms, ticket office and the car park.

Transport Scotland's Rail Accessibility Manager Chris Clark said: "We want to encourage as many disabled people as possible to use rail services by improving access to stations across the country.

"Stepped access makes using some stations difficult for many people, including those with wheelchairs, the elderly, those with pushchairs, or even passengers with heavy or awkward luggage.

"Access for All has delivered key improvements to stations around the country over the past three years and we are delighted that all passengers at Dalmuir and Motherwell now have step-free access to all station facilities."

Transport Minister Paul Clark said: "We're delighted to be able to support this scheme - these new facilities will make life easier for passengers.

"If we are to encourage more people to travel by train, improving access for passengers is vital. That's why we launched our £370m Access for All initiative in 2006 which has not only enabled us to make these improvements at Dalmuir and Motherwell but is helping us to fund similar improvements at other stations."

Ron McAulay, Network Rail Director, Scotland, noted that in Dalmuir, there are more improvements to come, with construction of a new station building and ticket office beginning next year and due for completion in 2011.

Plans to improve access at Easterhouse, Hyndland, Linlithgow, Montrose and Perth are being drawn up as part of the second phase of the Access for All programme, and work is expected to begin at a number of these stations in 2010.

(GK/BMcC)