Hindley station to get lifts and footbridge in £6.5m accessibility upgrade

Construction work to improve accessibility at Hindley station is set to begin in February, marking a major step towards making the historic station easier to use for passengers of all abilities.

The £6.5m project will see two new passenger lifts installed, providing step-free access to the platforms for the first time in the station’s history. A new footbridge linking directly from the booking hall at street level to platforms 1 and 2 will also be built, removing barriers for disabled passengers, older people and those travelling with pushchairs or heavy luggage.

Despite the scale of the upgrade, the station will remain open throughout the works and train services will not be affected. Transport for Greater Manchester, Network Rail and Northern Trains will also take the opportunity to improve lighting and CCTV coverage around the lifts and assistance points, enhancing safety and the overall passenger experience.

The scheme follows the completion of step-free access projects at Daisy Hill and Irlam stations in 2025. Work is already under way at Bryn, with projects at Reddish North and Swinton scheduled to start later this year. Further upgrades are planned for Flowery Field, Newton for Hyde and Levenshulme.

Hindley’s transformation forms part of a wider accessibility programme that will see the number of step-free rail stations in Greater Manchester double over a three-year period compared with the previous decade. By March 2028, 63% of the city-region’s rail stations are expected to offer step-free access.

The station is also among 64 Greater Manchester rail stations due to become part of the Bee Network by 2028, creating a fully integrated system linking trains with buses, trams and active travel routes.

Alongside the station works, plans are in place for a new Travel Hub designed to improve access to the Bee Network. Proposals include more than 40 additional parking spaces, blue badge bays, electric vehicle charging points, a new bus layby and a dedicated pick-up and drop-off area. Pedestrian access between the hub and the station will be improved via a route beneath Ladies Lane bridge, with new help points, lighting and CCTV installed to improve safety.

Most construction activity will take place on weekdays between 7am and 6pm. Some road closures may be required in 2026 during the installation of the lifts, with further details to be confirmed nearer the time. A temporary staircase will be provided to maintain access to both platforms, and tickets will continue to be available from platform machines, online, via apps or on board trains.

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said:

“Everyone should be able to use public transport easily, and the number of inaccessible train stations across Greater Manchester is an historic legacy that we are working hard to correct. Over a three-year period, we will deliver upgrades at ten stations – twice as many as in the past decade – so that two-thirds are step-free by spring 2028. It’s great to start the new year with confirmation that work will get underway at Hindley in just a few weeks’ time, enabling more people to use the rail network and unlock the city-region’s growing potential.”

Josh Simons, MP for Makerfield, said:

“I am delighted that TfGM and the Mayor are investing in Hindley station, introducing step-free access to make it more accessible. I have been pushing for this since being elected as I know how important it is to passengers and has been a longstanding campaign for the local councillors and the Friends of Hindley Station group. Hindley is a well-used station in the local rail network, and I am pleased that these upgrades will make sure it is open to many more rail users in the years to come.”

Stuart Taylor, Northern’s director of service delivery in Greater Manchester, said:

“We’re excited to see this important project get underway as it will transform Hindley station and improve accessibility, by providing customers with step-free access to the platforms. There will be some minor disruption, as some areas will be cordoned off for construction, but the station will remain open throughout and services will run as normal. We are working with partners like Transport for Greater to improve accessibility for people who travel across our network and give them the confidence to travel by train.”

Accessibility campaigner Nathaniel Yates said:

“This is brilliant for the residents of Hindley and this is great progress from Transport for Greater Manchester and Network Rail in terms of step-free access making train stations accessible for everybody.”

Image: Transport for Greater Manchester