Lifts are being installed at St. Erth station in west Cornwall to provide step-free access and make it fully accessible for the first time.

Contractor BAM Nuttall has been engaged by Network Rail’s to carry out the work, with completion planned for spring next year.

To improve the grade II listed station’s accessibility, a new footbridge with lifts will be installed, which for the first time since it was built in 1852 will provide step-free access to the whole station.

During the work, the current footbridge will not be demolished for scrap but will be carefully dismantled and transported to the heritage steam East Somerset Railway where it will be rebuilt at Cranmore station.

Cornwall Council with support from the European Regional Development Fund has created Cornwall’s first multi modal hub in St. Erth, which has provided better links between the station, the A30 road, and bus services.

The work at St. Erth station is part of Network Rail’s continuing investment in Cornwall and the iconic St Ives branch line, and comes under the Government’s Access for All scheme that aims to improve access at stations throughout the country. The St. Ives branch line carries a million passengers a year, and provides support for tourism and businesses in the area.

Access for All was launched in 2006 as a programme to overcome problems faced by passengers with disabilities or mobility restraints such as heavy luggage or pushchairs when they use railway stations in Great Britain.

The Access for All funding is used to provide routes from station entrances to platforms that are free of obstacles and are accessible. This usually includes the provision of lifts or ramps, and associated works and improvements along the access route.

Alina Wolfe Murray, Network Rail senior sponsor, said: “We’re so pleased this work is underway to bring significant benefits to all passengers using St Erth.

“The line is one of the most beautiful stretches of railway in the country and we’re determined to ensure as many people as possible can enjoy it.

“The area has just seen a very busy summer holiday season and next year it will be even easier to visit the region by rail.”