Stockport Railway Station

Meg Hillier Excerpts

Friday 16th May 2025 Commons Chamber

[Navendu Mishra]

I agree entirely. To go back to my previous point, if we want people to use public transport, we need to offer services that match their needs. I lived in Hazel Grove for several years, and I know the stations that the hon. Lady mentions. I agree that Stockport is a large station—it had almost 4 million entries and exits in the last reporting period—but we should not overlook the smaller stations. Unfortunately, over the last few decades, the north and north-west of England has been overlooked when it comes to transport investment. I agree with the hon. Lady, and there is a lot to be said about people commuting from smaller stations to larger stations and getting connections to Manchester airport, Birmingham, Cornwall, London or even Scotland.

Disabled passengers too often face faulty lifts and have no way to access the platforms, and that problem is persistent across my constituency. Sadly, three out of five rail stations in my constituency—Brinnington, Heaton Chapel and Reddish South—do not have step-free access, and I want to see that addressed as soon as possible. It is simply unacceptable that disabled passengers, parents with pushchairs, older people and people who are less mobile than us are excluded from using their local stations with dignity and ease.

I want to put on the record my thanks to Nathaniel Yates, a local champion from the Reddish part of Stockport —I think the hon. Member for Hazel Grove (Lisa Smart) has met him—who has done a lot of work on step-free access at railway stations, not just in Stockport but across Greater Manchester.

[Dame Meg Hillier (Hackney South and Shoreditch) (Lab/Co-op)]

I am sorry to intrude in a debate on Stockport railway station, but I feel a burning need to highlight the issues of Dalston Kingsland station. That railway line was the London Overground but the Mayor of London has renamed it different things in different areas, and that part is now the Mildmay line. That station has no lift, unlike others on that line. That really is a big issue, especially as it is close to the world-famous Ridley Road market, so it attracts a lot of visitors. I hope the Minister will cover how fast we can get lifts into stations without step-free access.

[Navendu Mishra]

I am not familiar with that station, but I agree wholeheartedly that people should not be excluded from our public transport network due to their physical ability. That is just not acceptable in modern Britain.

I want to call out the previous Conservative Government’s plans to close hundreds of ticket offices, including at key stations such as Stockport. Those proposals were entirely unacceptable because they ignored the needs of disabled passengers, older travellers and anyone who is less able to use the internet. Disabled people already face numerous barriers in accessing the railway and are three times less likely to travel by rail than non-disabled people. That is why it is so important that we have good-quality, reliable infrastructure that supports disabled people, and lifts and doors that do not break down frequently, as they do at Stockport station. Ticket offices provide a fixed location for passengers to locate staff and, therefore, advice and assistance. That is particularly important for many disabled people, who are less able to search the station for a roaming member of staff.

The RMT union has long-standing concerns about Avanti’s failure to fill station staff vacancies and its widespread reliance on fixed-term contracts. That understaffing is leading to delays at ticket offices and cases of ticket offices not being open during their advertised and regulated hours. That clearly impacts the passenger experience, safety and accessibility. Sadly, it seems that Avanti is putting private profits before public safety and accessibility. I am told that Avanti paid out shareholder dividends of £8.1 million in 2024. Ticket office staffing in Stockport is inconsistent and simply not good enough. The Government should instruct Avanti to permanently fill all existing vacancies, transfer staff on fixed-term contracts to permanent contracts and ensure its ticket offices and stations are properly staffed.

As I have noted, Stockport station is one of the busiest in Greater Manchester, yet its condition is far below what passengers deserve. I welcome the recent announcement by Network Rail to repair the frequently faulty lifts—£46,000 is being invested at the station to make step-free access more reliable for passengers—but that should be the start, not the end of the investment at our station. Basic maintenance is falling behind at the station, with leaking roofs, worn out toilets, and poor drainage causing repeated flooding on platforms.

One resident described the station as “incredibly uninviting”. They said that the

“lights are dim because they are covered in years of cobwebs and grime”

and that parts of the station are in “dire condition, often leaking”. The station’s pedestrian tunnel is dark, damp and neglected. One resident described it as being like an “old air raid shelter”. Another resident said that the station feels “poor, tired and dark” and that she

“doesn’t feel safe travelling as a woman alone in the evening or early mornings”.

Ticket vending machines are unreliable and the Edgely entrance to Stockport station is in a dire state. The station is well run but understaffed. Residents have reported to me a lack of gate staff, no permanent British Transport police presence, and serious concerns about road safety on the Edgeley entrance side. Tragically, there was recently a collision that left a member of the public injured on that side of the station, which was sad news.

I have raised these issues with Avanti. The broken main entrance door was finally replaced, but it should not have taken public shaming to get essential fixes done. While I welcome Network Rail’s investment in the Greek Street bridge near the station—it is investing almost £20 million in that project—it needs to go further and faster in improving the station for all.

I highlight that the viaduct, which I mentioned earlier, is an iconic part of Stockport’s skyline, but it is not part of Stockport station. The investment of £20 million in the Greek Street bridge is also welcome, but that is not part of the station. We need ringfenced investment in the station. I was recently out with the Network Rail team—I think it was in February—who have spent almost £1.1 million cleaning up and repairing the viaduct. That is great news for our town and for railway users, but the station needs a lot of love and investment.

Many people rely on the station, whether for commuting across the north-west or visiting Birmingham or London, but it has been unfairly left behind. Stockport residents are calling for proper investment to bring the station in line with others across the region. They want safety, accessibility and basic decency.

On a different point, I take the opportunity to urge the Minister to back the extension of the Metrolink tram system to Stockport town centre. That investment would be a huge boost for Stockport’s connectivity and local economy, helping people to get to work, school and healthcare appointments more easily and sustainably.

We have great connections from Stockport station, but sadly during covid TransPennine Express stopped direct services between Stockport and Manchester airport. I wrote to it but unfortunately got a disappointing response; I will be going back to it. I urge the Minister to visit it with me at some point.

The absence of a direct service from Stockport to Manchester airport creates unnecessary inconvenience for many residents, particularly those who rely on public transport for work. Manchester Airports Group is a large employer in my constituency, and many people commute from my constituency to Manchester airport. The indirect route is difficult for those carrying heavy luggage and for those who are less mobile or need assistance. I want to see that service reinstated as soon as possible.

I have mentioned this on a number of occasions in the Chamber, but may I pay tribute to the friends of Reddish South station? They are a brilliant community group in the Reddish part of Stockport who have worked tirelessly to improve their local railway station. They have been campaigning for years for proper rail services at Reddish South. Currently, Reddish South station has one train a week. Imagine having a local train station with one train a week—it is just ridiculous.

I echo the calls for further investment by Network Rail in better signalling in and around Stockport. Some of the engineering parts and equipment used around Stockport are quite dated. We need to ensure that the signalling infrastructure and equipment is the latest, cutting-edge equipment for safety standards and ease of use. We also need to unlock the future capability and reliability of our railway network, so that would be welcome. I am also very grateful to Friends of Heaton Chapel Station, who make a valuable and wonderful contribution to the community of Stockport.

I have gathered some feedback from members of staff at Stockport station, so I will quickly mention that. Many Members might be surprised to discover that we have an unusually named platform 0 at Stockport station. Sadly, due to staffing shortages platform 0 is often closed, because there are not enough Avanti staff. The Passenger Assist scheme, which is supposed to help those who are less mobile, those with health conditions or those with disabilities to access the railway, is a vital lifeline for many people. Unfortunately, I am told that the staffing for the Passenger Assist scheme is so poor at Stockport station that it is covered by one member of staff on a part-time basis. When that staff member is not in, platform staff, who should be focused on railway safety with trains arriving and departing, have to assist passengers. I recently tabled written parliamentary question 41630 on Passenger Assist. I thank the Minister and the Government for the £10 million to improve the Passenger Assist service. The capability to book a ticket, request assistance and reserve a seat in one single transaction will be widely welcomed by pretty much everyone—I cannot think of anyone who would be opposed to it.

British Transport police do a fantastic job, but they do not have a permanent presence at Stockport station and neither do we have permanent security staff. I call on Avanti and Network Rail to work together to resolve that.

I want Stockport station to be a place that residents can be proud of. The station is not just a local hub; it is a vital part of our critical national infrastructure. It deserves the investment, accessibility and support to match. Network Rail must accelerate investment in lifts, drainage, roofing and accessibility. More must be done to address basic maintenance failures before they become hazardous. I also want Avanti and Network Rail to work at pace to improve the staff facilities, which need to be upgraded. They do a fantastic job—I have already place on record my thanks to them—and they deserve good quality facilities when they take their breaks, and when they start and end their shifts.

I welcome the share of the city region sustainable transport settlements that Stockport will receive to progress development at Stockport station, but I urge the Minister to go further and faster with funding for modernisation and better connectivity at Stockport. I also ask the Minister to urge Avanti to end its over-reliance on temporary contracts and to fill ticket office vacancies. Sadly, I personally find that the ticket office at Stockport is frequently closed during advertised hours when it should be open. Ticket office closures risk denting revenue by deterring passengers, particularly disabled people, from using the railway. Passenger safety, service and accessibility are vital for a thriving railway.

I invite the Minister to visit Stockport again. I understand that he has been twice since he took up his position. Both times, he visited on a sitting day when I was in Westminster, so I invite him to visit again. I would love to take him to Reddish South station, which has one train a week; Stockport station, which has almost 4 million passenger rail entries and exits; and Brinnington and Heaton Chapel stations, which do not have step-free access.

I am grateful to many organisations, including the trade unions, which provided briefings for this debate. Avanti and Network Rail also helped me with a briefing. Nick from Avanti, in particular, has been really helpful. I conducted a survey on my Facebook page seeking feedback from residents and passengers on Stockport station. I received several submissions and I am so grateful to each and every one of the respondents for helping me to write this speech. I hope the Minister is able to address some of the points I have made, but my last point is that Network Rail and Avanti need to do so much more to make sure that Stockport station, and the smaller stations in Stockport, get the investment they have deserved for far too long.