An innovative approach to upgrading railway station facilties has proved to be cost-effective.

The Aberdyfi railway station has built a special 'hump' to make access to trains easier for people with mobility problems.

It cost just £70,000 and it is made of glass-reinforced plastic, which can be adjusted in the factory to suit a particular station.


Passengers with small children and pushchairs, the elderly or those with heavy luggage often got into difficulties at Aberdyfi so until now they had to go to the nearest station, Gwynedd instead.

This 'hump' development is said to be only the first step of a plan - pending funding confirmation - that includes the renovation of other rural stations in Wales, which all have low platforms due to their construction around 150 years ago, when there were no standard designs.

Normally rebuilding one basic platform would cost around £250,000 and actually the small number of people using rural stations doesn't allow cost effective solution to the problem.

(BMcC)