A £6.5m project to provide step-free access and other improvements will soon begin at Hindley station
Work is due to start within weeks on a £6.5m upgrade at a Wigan railway station which will make it accessible for everyone.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) will install two passenger lifts at Hindley, providing step-free access to and from the platforms for the first time.
A new footbridge is also being built from the booking hall at street level, providing direct access to platforms one and two.
The work will start in February and the station will remain open throughout, with no impact on train services.
TfGM, Network Rail and Northern Trains will also upgrade lighting and CCTV at the lifts and assistance areas.
Providing step-free access to Hindley station is part of a rolling programme of accessibility upgrades, which will see twice as many stations in Greater Manchester become step-free over a three-year period than in the preceding decade.
Work is currently under way at Bryn station.
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham 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 10 stations – twice as many as in the past decade – so that two-thirds are step-free by spring 2028.”
As well as accessibility improvements at Hindley, there are proposals for a new travel hub.
It will provide improved park-and-ride facilities with more than 40 additional parking spaces, a new bus lay-by and a pick-up/drop off area.
Improved pedestrian access between the hub and railway station will be provided underneath Ladies Lane bridge, alongside new help points, lighting and CCTV.
Makerfield MP Josh Simons 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 long-standing 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.”
The majority of the construction work will take place on weekdays, between 7am and 6pm.
Some road closures may be required to install the lifts, with details confirmed closer to the time.
A temporary staircase will be installed during the work to provide access to both platforms.
Stuart Taylor, Northern’s director of service delivery in Greater Manchester, said: “We’re excited to see this important project get under way 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.”