Morpeth Station Improvements

11.36.02am GMT Wed 18th Feb 2009

Fiona Hall lends her support to the campaign for improvements at Morpeth Station.

Network Rail has been lobbied over a number of years by SENRUG, Castle Morpeth Borough Council and Morpeth Town Council, supported by Liberal Democrat councillors, to make improvements at Morpeth Railway Station. At long last, improvements are on the way. Network Rail recently applied for planning permission to provide additional spaces by constructing an overflow car park on the opposite side of the road to the Station to be used when the existing car park is full. The plans involve the introduction of a daily charge. Whilst welcoming the proposals, Morpeth Town Council, has suggested train travellers should be able to reclaim all or part of the charge (this should be possible when the Station Office opening hours are extended) and that there should be designated spaces for disabled people to meet the national minimum standard, a bus only turning circle and appropriate additional yellow lines along adjacent Coopies Lane. In the longer term (probably some time between 2012 and 2015) Network Rail has plans to make the Station DDA compliant. The preferred solution involves installing a lift with an emergency telephone at each end of the existing subway, but this will require Department of Transport support.