Changing Places toilet opens at Great Yarmouth station in major accessibility upgrade

A new Changing Places toilet has opened at Great Yarmouth rail station, offering a major boost to accessibility for disabled passengers and the people who support them. The enhanced facility has been delivered by Greater Anglia in partnership with the Wherry Lines Community Rail Partnership and Muscular Dystrophy UK, with funding from the Department for Transport.

Designed specifically for those who cannot use standard accessible toilets, the Changing Places unit provides additional space, a height-adjustable changing bench and a ceiling-mounted hoist. The installation is intended to make travel far more comfortable and dignified for passengers with complex needs.

Rebecca Richardson, Greater Anglia’s Accessibility Manager, said:

“I am delighted that we have been able to install a Changing Places toilet at Great Yarmouth as part of our station upgrade project, which will provide more people with the confidence and opportunity to travel by rail. We want to make sure that everyone can have a good journey with us and can travel with confidence and dignity, so this is a really positive step. We look forward to bringing more of these facilities to other stations on our network, where possible, in the future.”

Andy Fletcher, CEO of Muscular Dystrophy UK, said:

“We’re delighted that Greater Anglia has opened a Changing Places toilet at Great Yarmouth station. This will be a game-changer for passengers living with neuromuscular conditions and those living with other disabilities, for their carers, and for families in need of such a facility. An estimated 250,000 people across the UK are in need of a Changing Places toilet. The new facility will allow people to have an accessible journey that otherwise may have been excluded. This is one of several new Changing Places toilets across the rail network and we hope this number will rise to make travelling easier across the whole network.”

Alongside the new facility, the station has seen a suite of wider improvements. Waiting rooms have been refurbished with new seating and flooring, upgraded lighting and heating, a fresh paint finish, and an additional live information screen. The existing male, female and accessible toilets have also undergone a full renewal.

Martin Halliday, development officer at Community Rail Norfolk, added:

“The Wherry Lines are pleased to have partnered with Muscular Dystrophy UK to co-fund the creation of a much-needed Changing Places toilet facility at Great Yarmouth railway station. The Partnership also welcomes ongoing upgrade works by Greater Anglia to existing toilet and waiting facilities at the station, which complement a number of improvements and initiatives funded by the Wherry Lines CRP in recent years.”

Image: Greater Anglia