Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure communities can access local railways.

To ensure communities have access to the local railways, this Government is committed to improving accessibility, customer support, and helping to remove barriers to travel for all users of public transport.

Accessibility is an important part of ensuring communities can access local railways, which is why we will soon be publishing an Accessibility Roadmap that sets out how we will deliver a more accessible railway in the lead up to Great British Railways.

The Government also looks to connect communities directly with their local train operators through initiatives such as the Customer and Communities Improvement Schemes which aims to fund community-led projects that deliver a positive social impact in local communities across the country.

The Department also provides support for the Community Rail Network and Partnerships. Community Rail initiatives take many forms across Great Britain, united by a common goal of improving accessibility, connecting people, and bringing the railway into communities. Community Rail Partnerships deliver projects which bring benefits to local communities through social, environmental and economic growth.