Luton MP calls for urgent action on 'inaccessible' railway station - branding it 'not fit for purpose'

A Luton MP has slammed the town’s railway station as ‘not fit for purpose’ – and called for ‘crucial’ lifts to be installed.

Luton South MP Rachel Hopkins is seeking a meeting with Transport Minister Kevin Foster after raising a question about Luton train station in parliament.

She describes it as ‘not fit for purpose’ and says passengers are not receiving the quality of service or experience they deserve.

In a letter to the minister she claims the station’s difficult access makes it tough for the disabled and elderly, as well as young families with pushchairs and people with luggage.

She says: “The installation of lifts to each of the five platforms is crucial to creating an inclusive, accessible train station.

"However new lifts on a dilapidated station – in spite of the licks of paint – will not address the substandard experience Luton travellers receive.”

She added that as the gateway to the town, Luton station should reflect its growth and ambition: “An overdue comprehensive renovation, connecting it to the Bute Street car park redevelopment and the council’s wider town centre masterplan, is vital to regenerating our town centre and supporting our local and regional economy.”

Ms Hopkins acknowledges that Access for All funding has been allocated to install step-free access but says there is no clarity on when the work will start – or finish.

> Luton station – consisting of three platforms – was built by the Midland Railway in 1868 and rebuilt in 1939. A fourth platform was added in 1960 and a fifth during electrification in the 1980s.