THE fight to make Northwich train station accessible to all will continue despite pleas for central Government funding seemingly falling on deaf ears.

Despite announcing a £96 billion plan to 'level up' railways across the country, including an upgrade to networks across the North of England, funding a modernisation of Northwich station was not part of those plans.

Mike Amesbury, the town's MP, received a letter on behalf of the Transport Secretary, which stated the rebuilding of the station following its collapse would not include making it accessible to all.

The reasons given for the lack of funding was because the existing footbridge was not impacted as a result of the collapse and does not qualify as part of the rebuild.

Despite potential funding opportunities being made available from 2024-onwards, the issue of ensuring all passengers can access both platforms at the station looks set to drag on.

Cllr Andrew Cooper, who along with the town mayor Cllr Sam Naylor, has been campaigning for a better equipped and modernised station for several years said he was disappointed with the news.

He said: "I was really disappointed to read the response to Mike’s letter to the minister.

"Locally, the debate on resolving the accessibility issues at Northwich station has bee going on for a long time.

"That’s why Sam and I pushed Cheshire West and Chester Council to fund an Access for All study so we would have a blueprint of how this could be resolved should a funding opportunity arise."

Despite the collapsed part of the station being rebuilt next year, funding to expand those works has not be forthcoming, which will mean yet more delays.

Cllr Cooper added: "You would have thought that the collapse of the station would have brought this to a head and the opportunity would be taken to get this issue resolved at the same time as other construction work is ongoing at the station.

"Instead we have more delay.

"It should be a given by now that public spaces are accessible, and we will keep pressing the Government on this issue and take every opportunity to raise it until Northwich gets the station it deserves."