Newport West AM Rosemary Butler has expressed her concern in the Assembly about the problems faced by disabled people who want to use the new platform at Newport station.”

"It is an absolute disgrace that the new platform at Newport is not accessible to the rest of the station", she said.

"You can get off a train which is adapted for disabled people but you can't change platforms without getting taxis from one end of the station to another. What can you do to get Network Rail to put this appalling situation right?"

Transport Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones replied:

"I think this is an unacceptable situation at the moment. That is why there is a significant programme of investment at the station by Network Rail, as she knows.

"What we want to make sure is that the whole of that station is modernised and is accessible to disabled people. There is a commitment to make sure that by 2010 that is the case."

Rosemary Butler said later that she was glad that the minister agreed with her about the seriousness of the problem, but said she wasn't prepared to wait until 2010 for improvements. "It has to be done as quickly as possible," she said.

Wednesday September 19