The major issue of the inaccessibility of many railway stations across the country was well illustrated in the BBC's August 14th reporting of two stations serving greater Manchester and neighbouring areas.

Under a TfGM Bee Network initiative, Reddish North station will be made step-free in 2026 and nearby Bredbury has already been identified by the DfT in its 2024 listing.

On the Manchester to Buxton line, Levensulme will benefit from TfGM funding for step-free access by 2028 and Woodsmoor station, close to Stepping Hill hospital, is now on TfGM's list for detailed designs to be done for step-free access.

It is worth remarking that TfGM's ambition to build a more inclusive and accessible rail network in Greater Manchester will see twice as many rail stations becoming step-free between 2025>2028 than in the preceding decade.

In January 2025 Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) signed off the £34m needed for improvements to rail stations across the city region ahead of eight lines being brought into the Bee Network by 2028.

Meanwhile - outside the TfGM area - there is still no news on when work might begin at Chinley station, which of course is on the same line into Manchester as Bredbury and Reddish North.