ALMOST three hundred train stations were nominated by the rail industry for disabled access, but Ledbury is not one of them.

Ledbury's MP, Bill Wiggin says he is "disappointed and saddened" by the news from the Government; and his views have been echoed by Age UK Hereford and Localities.

Ledbury Station currently has no disabled access from one platform to another, because steps to the top of the linking bridge are so steep, and there are no lifts.

Ruth Nice, chief executive of Age UK Hereford and Localities said: "The fact that our county is rural means that many people rely on the accessibility of transport.

"The fact that the Ledbury Train Station remains non - accessible is disappointing. If you are over 60 then a person is able to save some money with train travel and have discounts on the fare with a senior rail card, this will not help people if they are not able to access the train”

Mr Wiggin, MP for North Herefordshire, recently asked a Written Question of the Department for Transport about the timetable for disabled access at Ledbury Station.

He said he was "saddened" to receive a reply week from Claire Perry MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport, that said:

“We have no current plans to provide funding to improve accessibility at Ledbury Station.

"Last year we asked the rail industry to nominate stations for our Access for All programme but Ledbury was not among the 278 stations put forward.”

Mr Wiggin had previously raised this matter with the Parliamentary Minister of State for Transport during a debate on Access to Transport in Westminster Hall on January 9, this year.

Bill Wiggin said then: "In North Herefordshire, we have disabled access in Leominster, but not yet in Ledbury.

"Will the Minister do all he possibly can to ensure that, next time that it is possible to sort the station out and change it so that it is accessible to disabled people, it is high enough on the list to get the funding?"

Mr Goodwill said it was "a good point" but went on: "Sadly, there is a surfeit of applications, compared with the money that there is to go round, but we are making progress every year."

Mr Wiggin has now written to London Midland, managers of the station, urging them to consider Ledbury Station at the next available opportunity.

Bill Wiggin MP said: “I want to get disabled access for Ledbury Station as soon as possible.We have an ageing population in North Herefordshire that need to be able to access all forms of public transport.

"I feel it is unacceptable that we do not have step free access to both platforms at Ledbury Station and I want to see this change."

He added: "We needed the rail industry to nominate Ledbury Station for improvements. I have written to London Midland urging them to make a case for Ledbury Station so my disabled and elderly constituents can safely and easily access our railways.”