Kingston Area Travellers' Association

Disabled rail passengers in Kingston could be facing a seven-year wait to use two of the busiest stations in the borough, despite the Government granting money to improve access at the sites earlier this month.

New Malden and Worcester Park stations have been granted a slice of £370million from the Department for Transport, rumoured to be over £1million, to make the platforms step-free, but upgrades are not scheduled for completion until 2012 at the earliest.

An 18-month feasibility study will take place at the stations to determine what changes are required to allow less mobile rail passengers such as wheelchair users, older people and parents with pushchairs better access to the platforms.

Two Chessington teens who caused a bus to crash by trying to force a driver to pull over after they had missed their stop have been given a curfew. The youths, aged 14 and 15, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were on the number 71 bus at 10.15pm on November 11 last year when it crashed in Bridge Street, Chessington.

After a bladder-busting wait of more than 10 years, passengers using Hampton Court station are close to seeing the toilets reopened.

Kingston train station was closed on Monday after a woman was hit by a train. British Transport Police confirmed a woman, believed to be in her 60s, was hit by a train at 12.10pm after leaning over the platform with her shopping.

Young troublemakers should lose their free travel cards, Conservative London mayoral candidate Boris Johnson says. Mr Johnson said the plan to remove free bus travel for any young people abusing it aimed to end rowdiness and violence faced by commuters. He said anyone who lost their travel pass would have to do community service to get it back.

The threat of a strike on London Underground came a step closer when union leaders announced that workers will be balloted for action from next week. The Transport Salaried Staffs Association said its 2,500 members on the Tube will vote on whether to launch a campaign of industrial action in a row over safety and staffing levels.

Twickenham's MP thinks there may be a positive solution to two issues concerning buses in the area. Vincent Cable and representatives from Richmond Council met Transport for London (TfL) executives to speak about two controversial decisions concerning buses in the borough.

Late last year, an all-night service was introduced on the 111 route, which runs from Kingston to Heathrow airport through Hampton and Dr Cable has received complaints from residents in Hampton, particularly in Nightingale Road, because of the disruption caused by this service and the fact that it does not seem to be widely used.
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Dr Cable also wanted to discuss a decision to replace the 465, half-hourly bus through Teddington, which was the only bus to run along Sandy Lane, with a new 481 hourly service on a different route.

A group of angry Richmond traders have been given hope by the borough's transport chief after he said he might revise his decision to move a controversial bus lane and narrow traffic lanes outside their shops.

Kew Road businesses were upset when Councillor David Trigg, Richmond Council cabinet member for transport , decided to modify the bus lane to accommodate kerb side parking, with six new bays.

Despite inflation busting price hikes and overcrowded, late- running, South West Trains' (SWT) service was praised this week. Figures released by the rail operator show 85 per cent of those polled were satisfied with the overall service they received, even though only 42 per cent felt they were getting value for money. However SWT was unable to provide figures for the number of people polled.

The Access for All Programme is part of the Railways for All Strategy, launched in 2006 to address the issues faced by disabled passengers using railway stations in Great Britain.  Central to the Strategy is the ring-fencing of £35m funding per year, until 2015, for provision of an obstacle free, accessible route to and between platforms at priority stations.  This generally includes the provision of lifts or ramps, as well as associated works and refurbishment along the defined route.

Follow the link above to see tables listing the stations in England and Wales to which the Department for Transport has targeted Access for All funding, subject to Network Rail carrying out a feasibility study to identify how access can be improved.  This process will include engagement with relevant stakeholders to ensure that the most appropriate solution can be delivered within the objectives of the Access for All Programme.

Police are hunting a man who groped a 28-year-old woman on a train. The woman was travelling on a train from Hounslow to Clapham when the incident happened.