Howden Station has been officially opened by local MP David Davis following a huge £1.2 million redevelopment, which has seen a large investment made by Hull Trains.

The opening event saw stakeholders come together to celebrate the project, which supports accessibility for passengers.

The redevelopment has seen platform levels increased in order to reduce the stepping distance required when getting on and off trains.

Further work has also seen tactile paving added, which supports passengers with visual impairments aware of the distance to the edge of the platform.

Hull Trains £3 million Passenger Infrastructure Improvements Fund has also supported the addition of a new non-slip surface, improved drainage alongside white and yellow safety lines on platforms.

Hulls Trains worked closely with Northern, Network Rail and TransPennine Express in order to deliver the project and keep disruption for passengers to a minimum whilst the work was underway.

David Davis MP said:

“Howden is my local station and I’m delighted to be unveiling the new platform, using this platform myself, I can instantly see the difference to how it looked before and the ease in accessibility for passengers, it’s a fabulous improvement.”

“I have a disabled grandchild myself, and one thing I’ve noticed recently is the hugely positive difference in how this country treats and accommodates disabled people. These platforms will make a huge difference to the passengers of Howden and will be a really well-received investment from the local operator.”

Terry French, Chair of Selby and District Rail User Group discussed how the project will bring a great deal of benefit to local passengers and went on to say:

“It is vital that our local train services are fully accessible for all passengers, so we welcome this investment. It’s great to see stations along the route like Howden getting a bit of an uplift. Just getting off the train today, the benefits are already so noticeable.”

Managing Director of Hull Trains, Martijn Gilbert, added:

“Improving accessibility at Howden is part of an ongoing investment in our services at Hull Trains and follows the introduction of a brand-new train fleet and increase in services in recent years.”

“We’ve already had some really positive feedback from customers about the improvements, the project is an important part of us continuing to provide reliable, affordable and low-carbon train services that are easy for everyone to access along our route”