Accessibility will be improved at Ipswich railway station when an upgrade begins this month.
The works, funded by the State Government, will take place between April and August, with temporary access changes for some customers in the meantime.
Mayor Teresa Harding welcomed the upgrades’ focus on safety and access for all community members.
“Our diverse and growing population uses a variety of modes of transport to access employment, education and services,” Mayor Harding said.
“I understand these rail upgrades are designed to improve safety and enhance the boarding experience for all, including seniors, parents with prams, people with luggage and customers using mobility aids.
“On behalf of council, I thank the State Government for its commitment to ensuring public transport aligns with the needs of the Ipswich community.”
On Wednesday 7 April, the existing 1972 lifts at Ipswich station will be taken out of service and work will begin to replace them with new, modern, accessible lifts that will be safer and more reliable.
“The new lifts will meet modern accessibility standards, allowing customers to enter one side and exit the other, rather than having to navigate a turn in the confined space,” Ipswich MP Jennifer Howard said.
The current lifts will be out of action from early April until start of August, so some additional journey planning may be required for those who normally use the lifts.
“Ipswich station has ramps to all platforms, but they are quite steep and can be difficult for some people to manage on their own, so Queensland Rail customer service staff will be on hand to provide assistance,” Ms Howard said.
“For customers who may not be able to use the ramps, alternate transport arrangements can also be made to connect to the nearest accessible stations, which are Dinmore and Wulkuraka.”
There will also be a scheduled track closure on 8 and 9 of May, when Queensland Rail raises the height of the core zone of platforms at Ipswich station, which aims to reduce the gap between the platform and the train floor level.
Minor finishing works will see the platform improvements completed in June.
For more information visit www.queenslandrail.com.au
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