Last Thursday 18th April 2024, Huw Merriman MP, Minister for Rail and HS2, visited Chalkwell station following a promise made to me during Transport Questions in the House of Commons.
On 21st March I'd called out Network Rail in the House of Commons chamber for their repeated delays to beginning construction work on a new accessible lift and footbridge at Chalkwell Station. Responding to my question, Huw Merriman promised to come to Chalkwell station with Network Rail to take me through the project and the challenges faced to see what can be done to speed up the delivery.
I'm delighted that Huw Merriman made good on this promise, meeting with me, local disability campaigner Jill Allen-King OBE, representatives from c2c and Network Rail, as well as Chalkwell Councillors Nigel Folkard and James Courtenay. This visit represented the first visit from a Transport Minister to a c2c train station since 2018.
The Minister reiterated to the group that the delays to the project at Chalkwell station were unacceptable, apologising and taking responsibility as Rail Minister, however, he made clear that The Department for Transport remained committed to completing the project. He also outlined that he has put in place an action plan to get the ‘Access for All’ programme (where the funding for Chalkwell station came from) moving properly and assured me that they have now secured a contractor for the works and that design work is ongoing.
The Minister outlined that there are specific challenges faced at Chalkwell station due to its location particularly with the sea on one side of the station. He further informed the group that the Network Rail Project Manager who had managed the construction of the £82 million sea wall protecting the coastal rail route in Dawlish in Devon, which faced similar construction challenges, was being brought onto the Chalkwell project, bringing with him best practice from that project and a record of delivery.
As I thanked the Minister for his visit, I reiterated the need for the project to be completed as soon as possible. The Minister assured me that every opportunity to speed up the project without compromising its integrity, would be taken and promised to keep me and my team up to date with the ongoing works.
I am pleased that the Rail Minister came to Chalkwell station to see for himself how the station is near inaccessible to disabled people and families with pushchairs. The steep steps are simply not useable for many people, and it is essential that this gateway to our beaches can be accessible to all.
I appreciate the Minister and Network Rail talking me through the project and their assurances that work is now on-going, but now they must match those words with action. I will continue to hold them account until this project is fully delivered.
I am hugely grateful to Jill Allen-King for coming along to this meeting and making the case for all the disabled residents of Southend about just how important it is to deliver this vital infrastructure project.
