Hump plans to raise rail platform

A hump like this being piloted in Cumbria could soon be at Aberdyfi

A specially designed hump is to be installed on a rural station's platform to get rid of the half-metre (18in) gap passengers have to step up from.

Passengers at Aberdyfi station in Gwynedd have complained about the low platform and rail bosses came up with a solution to install the hump.

Twenty other stations in Wales could also have similar work, a conference by the Cambrian Coast Railway has heard.

Work on the £60,000 scheme will begin in two weeks.

It has been funded by the assembly government.

Network Rail came up with the glass fibre and plastic ramp to eliminate the gap following complaints.

Raised access

The design means it can be set to any desired height in the factory, and comes in sections that allow it to be made to almost any length.

The Aberdyfi hump will provide 17m (56ft) of raised access to the middle doors of the two-carriage trains that use the station.

It means that the whole platform does not need to be rebuilt.

The use of a glass-reinforced-plastic design is being hailed as a possible low-cost solution to stations across Wales, many built around 150 years ago.

At that time, there were no standard platform or station sizes, resulting in the problems faced by Aberdyfi today.

For years disabled groups and tourism groups have called for action because of problems encountered by passengers.

Campaigners have said that some passengers refused to disembark at Aberdyfi and went on for a further five miles to Tywyn and arranged a taxi back.

Councillor Trefor Roberts, of Barmouth and chairman of the rail conference, said that he happened to be on a train at Aberdyfi station with Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones and local AM Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas recently.

"There was a few minutes available and I showed them the problem," he said.

"From my understanding the Aberdyfi project will be a pilot scheme and could be spread out to another 20 low platform stations throughout Wales."