A NEW footbridge allowing disabled passengers to access a Monmouthshire railway station has moved a step closer.

People in Abergavenny have been campaigning to have the disabled access at the town’s railway station for many years and now designs for a new footbridge with lifts are due to be completed by the end of the financial year.

The structure should be completed by March 2024.

On Friday, July 9, Monmouth MP David Davies and MS Peter Fox joined councillors and others for a visit to talk through the updates with Network Rail. The Department for Transport’s Access for All programme will be providing the funding.

Maureen Powell, local county councillor, has been heavily involved in the project and said the location of the proposed access to the site had posed a problem, but this had since been resolved.

“The original footbridge designs are out of date and have been superseded by the new Beacon-style footbridges, so the outline design needed to be refreshed,” she said.

“The listed building consent will need to be renewed, but we can look forward to the Access for All bridge being installed in 2024.

“This is very welcome news, not only for the disabled, but also parents with young children and anyone with heavy luggage.”

Mr Davies said: “I want to pay particular tribute to Maureen Powell who launched the campaign for better access at the station some years ago.

“Since then, she has chased us all at various meetings and got Network Rail and Transport for Wales down to the station to see the problems for themselves.

“I have been in touch with the Department for Transport to emphasise the importance of this scheme to Abergavenny and I am pleased that at last it looks as though work is going ahead.”

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Mr Fox added: “I, too, would like to pay a sincere thank you to Councillor Maureen Powell, whose sheer energy and tenacity in this campaign will undoubtedly make a huge impact on people’s livelihoods,

“The works will be a huge relief and a long time coming for those with a disability.

“It is now crucial that the works are given the green light swiftly, without any delay.”