Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Thursday, November 24, 2016

Official Report 931KB pdf

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Edinburgh Waverley Station (Access Arrangements)

The next item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S5M-02131, in the name of Miles Briggs, on Edinburgh Waverley station access arrangements. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.

Motion debated,

That the Parliament is aware of the ongoing concerns of residents in Lothian and visitors using the drop-off and pick-up arrangements at Edinburgh Waverley railway station; notes that previous taxi ranks within the station were removed in 2014 when vehicles were banned from the station, which means passengers have to leave the station to get a taxi, or be dropped off, on neighbouring streets; is aware of the particular concerns of older, disabled or blind travellers who may find it difficult and inconvenient to get to and from the station; is further aware that the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee investigated this matter in 2015 and suggested that it was “essential that suitably located, accessible taxi facilities are available at Waverley”; welcomes the work of the Edinburgh Access Panel and other stakeholders in seeking to persuade the ScotRail Alliance to improve the current arrangements, and notes the continuing calls for a suitably located, accessible taxi rank and drop-off and pick-up point to be reintroduced at Edinburgh Waverley station without further delay in the interests of all travellers using this key transport hub.

12:51  

Thank you, Presiding Officer, for the time that was given to allow my constituents to join us in the public gallery.

I thank colleagues from across the chamber who supported my motion. I also thank the thousands of constituents across Edinburgh and Lothian and beyond who signed my petition, either off or online. Both those actions demonstrate the real public interest and anger surrounding the topic.

I welcome to the public gallery a number of my constituents who have been campaigning on the issue, including Dennis and Pat Wilson, Ian McInnes and Moira Vaughan of the Edinburgh access panel, which has done such a huge amount of work, as well as representatives of the Royal National Institute of Blind People and the Scottish Accessible Transport Alliance.

All of us can agree that blind, disabled, infirm and elderly residents should have the same access to transport services as anyone else in Scotland. However, I am sad to say that, since the taxi ranks were removed from Waverley station in 2014, many of those people feel that they have become second-class citizens when it comes to accessing the station.

Blind and disabled people who were used to some of the best drop-off and pick-up arrangements in the country feel that they have been badly let down and that their independence has been totally undermined. Disabled constituents tell me that navigating their way around Waverley station and trying to find the lifts and the escalators can be extremely difficult and frustrating and, in some cases, dangerous, as the escalators pose a particular challenge for guide dogs.

I am sorry to say that some disabled constituents have told me that they have decided to avoid Waverley station altogether as they do not want to have to rely on assistance from others. In many cases, it has only been because of the kindness of fellow Edinburgh residents and the city’s fantastic taxi drivers that they have been able to access the station and get on to train services at all.

Handicabs (Lothian) can be used by disabled travellers—Edinburgh users have told me that the services that it provides are excellent—but its services have to be booked two weeks in advance, which removes the option for more spontaneous travel. Perhaps after the week that the Minister for Transport and the Islands has had, he would prefer to know the movements of everyone in Scotland two weeks in advance, but—this is the question that I put to the minister today—why should the disabled, blind, and elderly residents that I represent across Lothian have to plan their travel arrangement two weeks in advance?

The Handicabs service for drop-offs faces being made less accessible if the drop-off point is moved to Calton Road when the south ramp space is utilised for platform extensions.

Disabled visitors to the capital are usually unaware of the Handicabs service. Many tourists coming to Edinburgh for the very first time have faced standing outside in all weathers on neighbouring streets waiting for taxis, often having struggled outside to Market Street or Princes Street with heavy luggage. Some visitors have had to queue for long periods, especially during the festival, which hardly creates a good impression of our capital city.

I remain very concerned that the decision to remove the taxi ranks in 2014 was implemented before adequate alternative arrangements had been put in place. That is deeply regrettable. Back in the summer of 2015, a parliamentary committee looked into the issue and called for action on better access provisions, but we are still waiting for those to be delivered.

Last week, I met Network Rail representatives and Waverley station management at the station and they briefed me on their plans, which were confirmed in the press on Monday, for a new taxi rank at the New Street car park. That is welcome news as far as it goes, but it will offer only a limited improvement for able-bodied travellers, as it is just a taxi pick-up rank and not a place where passengers can be dropped off within the footprint of the station. It will also be considerably further away from the central parts of the station compared with previous ranks, so there will still be real challenges for blind, disabled and infirm travellers, who will need to use a number of lifts or staircases to get to their platforms and the station’s central concourse.

Therefore, I will continue to press rail bosses to look at additional and improved drop-off and pick-up arrangements and to work with the Edinburgh access panel and other stakeholders to achieve that. Specifically, I hope that a north ramp option for taxis will be reconsidered, as other ways of getting deliveries into the station can be found, thus freeing up that area. I urge Network Rail to explore all possibilities around that.

Responsibility for ensuring equality of access to transport services ultimately lies with the Scottish Government and the Minister for Transport and the Islands. There are questions to be answered as to why it has taken more than two years—since the taxi ranks were removed—to come up with the limited proposals for a pick-up rank at New Street, which will not be in place until towards the end of next year. The Scottish Government should have been doing far more to ensure that Waverley station is made truly accessible for all travellers. It is, after all, a strategic national transport hub, a gateway to Scotland and one of the busiest stations in the country.

When the minister recently launched Scotland’s first accessible travel framework, he said fine words, stating:

“It’s important for us to confirm the commitment to making it easier for those with a disability to travel.”

I agree. I know from the meetings that I have had with the minister that he genuinely wants to see progress on the issues. I call on him to put those words into action at Waverley station and press Network Rail to make further improvements that will make the station’s drop-off and pick-up arrangements truly fit for purpose and genuinely accessible for all travellers, including blind, disabled and elderly residents.

12:56  

I thank Miles Briggs for bringing the debate to the chamber. I apologise to him and to you, Presiding Officer, because I will have to leave after my speech to go to the Conveners Group meeting.

I pay tribute to Ronnie Wilkes and Johann Hutchison, who are two campaigners who work to improve the rights of passengers. Johann is a constituent of mine and a wheelchair user, Ronnie is blind, and both are regular train users. They worked with my colleague Sarah Boyack during her time in this Parliament and I have been working with them over the past few months. In September, we met senior officials of ScotRail at Waverley station to discuss a range of issues relating to disabled travel and access in and around the station.

We must recognise that, if we were going to plan and build the major railway station for the capital city, we would not build it where it is now, at the bottom of a steep valley between Princes Street and Market Street, where access issues and layout restrictions hamper every move—although, as the old gag goes, it was really considerate of them to build the castle next to the railway station.

Any work at Waverley is challenged by its geography, but that should not prevent us from doing everything possible to improve access at the station for all passengers. There is without doubt a need for improved taxi services and access to allow passengers to transit through the station and beyond to their destination. As a daily commuter, I find getting to and from platforms and dealing with platform changes frustrating and often unclear. For passengers with mobility problems, those who use wheelchairs and those with a visual impairment, the frustration must be even greater.

The taxi rank issue is important, but Ronnie and Johann have also raised with me a host of other issues. They have suggested a possible further drop-off point on Calton Road and simple things such as putting a seat and Braille panel at the help point in the station, changing the rail information desk to a rail information and access desk so that disabled travellers know exactly where to get help and advice, and developing a passenger buddy system with volunteers to assist passengers who need help to access services, transit through the station or get to a bus or taxi.

Ronnie and Johann have suggested that we look at the use of new information technology and phone apps to make the whole train journey experience better, ensuring in particular that the passenger assist service works as it should. I know that new mobile phone apps are being trialled and I look forward to their roll-out if they are successful. They have also suggested a scooter hire system at stations, so that people with limited mobility can enjoy this great city just like everyone else. There is a host of other suggestions that I will not go into at the moment.

If members think that the past few weeks have been bad for passengers, think how bad the experience of late trains, cancelled services and overcrowded carriages is for our disabled friends and relatives.

I hope that the rail authorities can advance the work of the group that is already set up and the suggestions that have come from my constituents. We all want to see a railway that is accessible for everyone in Scotland.

13:00  

I thank my colleague Miles Briggs for bringing this debate to the Scottish Parliament and I pay tribute to his efforts to ensure that taxis can once again enter Waverley station. He has eloquently set out the most important aspects of the issue.

It is, of course, more then two years since the public outcry when taxis were stopped from entering the station. I welcome the announcement that taxis will again be able to pick up passengers near the station, but we are only halfway there; I am unclear why Network Rail did not go the full way and provide a full service for passengers by allowing them to be dropped off as well. It is also disappointing to note the distance of the rank from the previous ranks in more central parts of the station, which has been mentioned.

This is a vital service for many different people. Taxi pick-up and drop-off facilities are vital for disabled and elderly people. Let us also think of the tourists—some 4 million visit Edinburgh every year, many of them using Waverley station. As someone who has used rail services in many parts of Europe and other countries, I understand the difficulty when one arrives in a station. It can be quite confusing and unclear if things are not signposted, and some cities are better at providing that than others.

Edinburgh is a gateway to other parts of Scotland: 60 per cent of the visitors who come here travel on to other parts of the country. Taxis are key to making their journey easy and making the country accessible to them. Travellers often arrive—as I have in other cities—unsure of their whereabouts, which is why the position of the new rank is regrettable; it is about 500 metres from the station platforms. I encourage Network Rail to reconsider and to ensure that effective signage is provided to guide travellers to where they need to go—signage that is easily understandable to those for whom English is not their native language.

Finally, on the timing of the new proposals, as far as we know, the new rank will open in autumn 2017. It would be good to have more specific information on that, as my understanding is that that would mean missing the Edinburgh festival season, which in the main runs throughout August. If the rank is to open after August 2017, it will miss the 70th anniversary of the Edinburgh international festival, which would be a crying shame.

Therefore, I close by asking the transport minister to try to accelerate the provision of services prior to that date next year.

13:04  

I extend my thanks to Miles Briggs for bringing the motion to the chamber and allowing us to explore this issue further.

Edinburgh Waverley is an important transport hub for people across Scotland and beyond. The station has 18 platforms in use and around 30,000 passengers a day passing through. With so many passengers, it is essential that there is full and easy access to and from the station each day for every passenger.

Unfortunately, passengers with disabilities find manoeuvring around Waverley station’s facilities to be a severe challenge at the best of times. Additional help can be requested by phoning for assistance before they arrive at the station but, despite such schemes, many passengers feel overlooked and forgotten.

To put the issues in context, I will share the example of the Paralympian Tanni Grey-Thompson. In 2012, she highlighted her experience of having to throw her wheelchair off the train at her station and then crawl off, because her booked assistance did not turn up. That is not a good situation for anyone to be in. Recounting her experience to the Telegraph, she said:

“as a disabled person travelling you always have an element of fear, feeling very uncomfortable, of panic, of just wondering whether you’re going to get off. I think it is fair that a lot of disabled people feel like second class passengers because they don’t have the same treatment as everyone else. I don’t expect to be swept in to first class and treated better than everyone else—I expect to have the same experience, and that is often just not the case.”

No one should feel the need to worry about accessibility. All passengers should have an easy and accessible experience at Waverley station and elsewhere in Scotland.

Previously at Waverley, passengers could be picked up and dropped off at platform level, but the closure in 2014 of the indoor taxi rank has led to increased worry and inaccessibility for those who struggle to travel. Passengers in any direction now face a time-consuming route through the station, going in and out of lifts in order to reach street level to get a taxi. As we all know, lifts can break down, which can cause extra delays. With the decrease in accessibility due to the taxi rank closure, the unease of disabled passengers has only increased. Waverley station was originally developed and built in 1854. It is historically significant and has its geographical challenges. However, that should not mean that there is no room for improvements.

As we heard, this week Network Rail announced its intention to situate a new taxi rank in the New Street car park. The design of the rank is scheduled to be completed in May, and we believe that the project completion date will be some time after that. However, the proposed taxi rank will still require passengers with disabilities to navigate across the station and take a lift to New Street, and—as has been mentioned—it will be only for pick-ups and not for drop-offs. Despite attempts to alleviate the stress for passengers, the new scheme, as far as I can see, does not do much to change the current status and level of accessibility. Neil Findlay, who is unfortunately no longer in the chamber, made several good suggestions for improvements that could perhaps be taken forward.

I would be the first to admit, as an able-bodied person, that we sometimes struggle to understand the challenges that passengers with disabilities face. I suggest that the executives at Network Rail spend even a day on crutches or in a wheelchair, with a couple of heavy suitcases, navigating through the station, getting on and off trains and going up to try to hail a taxi while waiting in the freezing cold. That might give them some perspective on the issue.

I am convinced that a solution could be found to make the station fit for the 21st century, so I call on Network Rail to be more creative, to find that solution and to make the investment so that all passengers can use the station with ease.

13:08  

I congratulate my colleague Miles Briggs on bringing the debate to the chamber and I commend him for his work in raising the profile of the issues surrounding access to Waverley station here in Edinburgh.

Waverley is Scotland’s largest main-line station and is second only to London Waterloo in the United Kingdom. The annual rail passenger usage for the station in 2014-15 was over 21 million. It is the very definition of a rail hub, connecting passengers from across Scotland and the United Kingdom. The station, which is of such importance to us in Edinburgh, should and must ensure that commuters and visitors alike have easy access, as accessibility is essential.

The short-term decision back in 2014 to ban taxis from the station was, I believe, the wrong one to make at that stage. It was short-sighted to ban taxis from picking up and dropping off passengers inside Waverley, and the ban has provoked a huge reaction from individuals who have to use the station. I believe that it was a knee-jerk reaction that has had huge implications.

As has been pointed out already in the debate, the withdrawal of the previous option has affected many elderly, disabled and infirm people and has had massive consequences for mothers with prams and buggies and for other individuals and groups, arriving at the station, who find access difficult. For example, if someone is unfortunate enough to be visually impaired or blind and requires the support of a guide dog, a simple arrival at the station can turn into a nightmare. I am not surprised that many people have said that they will not use the current facilities because they are fearful and anxious about accessing them. We should be tackling that for those individuals.

It is extremely disappointing that there is now no access to taxi ranks on the same level as the platforms and that passengers have to make their way up staircases to get a taxi and arrive at the station at inaccessible drop-off points. Currently, passengers must locate lifts and escalators that, as we have heard, do not always work, which is just not good enough.

Although I welcome Network Rail’s announcement that there will be a new taxi rank in New Street, it has taken far too long for us to get to this point. Almost a year and a half ago, the Scottish Parliament’s Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee indicated that there should be a suitably located taxi-access facility at Waverley station. Even after a two-year delay, the rank at New Street will only partly address the problems that have arisen, because it is proposed that the new taxi rank will be only for taxis that are picking up passengers, which means that the problems that have been highlighted will remain unsolved for passengers who arrive at the station. I echo others’ calls in the debate for the Scottish Government to fulfil its obligation to ensure equal access to transport services in the station.

The Scottish Government and Network Rail must work together urgently to improve access at Edinburgh Waverley railway station for passengers, particularly those who require extra assistance, to ensure that it remains a real rail hub and works for everybody in the community.

13:12  

I thank Miles Briggs for introducing the debate, which is on a matter that is very important to the Scottish Parliament. I welcome his constituents—and those of any other member—and campaigners who are in the public gallery.

I understand from what Miles Briggs said that he recently met Waverley station’s manager and had a walk-round tour of the station, during which he was given detailed information on the range of improvements that have been delivered by the ScotRail Alliance, in partnership with the Edinburgh access panel, over the past couple of years. However, I echo what I think almost every member has said: the current situation at Waverley station is suboptimal and not appropriate for people who have accessibility issues.

Miles Briggs was kind enough to quote me on the Scottish Government’s accessible travel framework, which I was delighted to launch a couple of months ago and which confirms our commitment to addressing accessibility issues across the different modes of transport. That is of paramount importance to the Government. Having spoken to Network Rail, I believe that it echoes our view.

I will try to address some of the issues that have been raised in the debate. A number of speeches shared common themes. Ash Denham was absolutely correct to say that even for those of us who are able-bodied, navigating, especially at peak times, from one end of Waverley station to the other can be an uncomfortable experience. She was right to ask us to imagine what that is like for people who are not able-bodied and who might have also to contend with suitcases or other luggage and accompanying children, for example. That provides an important context for our understanding.

There have been some major access improvements in Waverley station. In 2012, as we know, escalators and lift access to Princes Street and Market Street were installed as part of a £130 million investment to upgrade the station. I know what Alexander Stewart meant when he said that lifts can break—that kind of access is not a solution, in itself. However, it is fair to say that access improvements have been made.

It is important to highlight what was missing from the speeches, however—I do not think that there was any malice in that—which is the reason why the taxi rank was removed. Mr Stewart called it “short-sighted” and “a knee-jerk reaction”. Having spoken to Network Rail, I understand that the rank was removed because of a directive from the UK Government on counterterrorism measures. Most people would see that as a reasonable directive, when one thinks of what happened with vehicles at Glasgow airport.

If one travels to Glasgow Queen Street or Glasgow Central stations, it will be clear that there are not many stations that are as busy as Waverley that allow taxis to come into the concourse of the station. The decision was taken not for cosmetic or aesthetic reasons, but because of a directive from the UK Government that highlighted Waverley station as being one of the stations in the UK that had to make the improvement. Government directives are best not ignored—especially when they are to do with counterterrorism. That context is important.

All that being said, members are entirely correct to ask what suitable alternatives could have been put in place, knowing that the directive was coming. I want to congratulate the Edinburgh access panel on its work. I know that it has been working closely with the ScotRail Alliance to put its case forward on what can be done better.

There have been improvements that I and other members have mentioned. I know that Neil Findlay has had to leave, but I would be interested to receive a copy of the suggestions that his constituents have made. If they have not been fed in to the ScotRail Alliance, they should be. Some of them are eminently sensible.

The close collaboration between the ScotRail Alliance and the Edinburgh access panel has led to the announcement that was made earlier this week about the creation of a taxi rank within the New Street car park. Gordon Lindhurst asked why it will be a pick-up only rank. That is because there is insufficient space for more, at the moment. The next stage is detailed design work on timescales, which members mentioned, and on what more can be done to improve accessibility. Once that detailed design work is done, it will be fed back to the Edinburgh access panel for its thoughts.

I have listened to what the minister has had to say and I am grateful. One of the key issues that I have been pressing is that none of the options that has come forward takes into account disabled and blind people going through the station. They are being kept out of the station. I have spoken about Handicabs and its role. It, too, will soon be excluded from the station. I want to see a bespoke opportunity for people who are disabled and blind to access train services.

I invite the minister and all the representatives who have an interest in the issue to visit the station with me, so that we can say to Network Rail and to the station management that the situation is not good enough and they have to go further. They need to look again at what has been put in place and at what we now have to wait another year for. There is an opportunity to allow disabled and vulnerable people to get into the station far more easily than they currently can.

I would have no hesitation in meeting Miles Briggs, his constituents, the access panel and anyone else to discuss—I stress again that direct access right into the station might be difficult because of the directive from the UK Government—whether that can be worked around, taking into consideration space constraints and restrictions. As Neil Findlay said, we would not choose again to build the station where it is, if we had the chance.

The detailed design work by Network Rail has been done in conjunction with the Edinburgh access panel, whose members will be able to feed in regularly. That touches on a point that I want to make—and which Gordon Lindhurst made very well—about whether the timescale can be expedited. There is a particular need for that in relation to the Edinburgh festival, which is such an important occasion and event. I will certainly ask Network Rail if that is possible. The design phase will set out the timescales, and Gordon Lindhurst made a very valid point about the work taking place at a very important time for the city.

In conclusion, I thank Miles Briggs for bringing the debate to Parliament, and I thank the Edinburgh access panel, the RNIB and the many other stakeholders who have been involved. There is a route forward that will go some of the way to addressing some of the issues. Clearly, there are more issues that need to be addressed. I will meet Miles Briggs and anyone else who is interested and I will ensure that Network Rail continues to be engaged. I hope that we can find a solution that is optimal for everybody—those who are able-bodied and those with disabilities.

13:20 Meeting suspended.  

14:30 On resuming—