Lift loss. John Harrington(left) waits outside lift as an elderly woman struggles up the staircase.
Lift loss.Elderly man struggles up the staircase.
ELDERLY residents and people with a disability will have to struggle up a steep staircase to board their trains at Blacktown train station for the next three months.
The lift at the south side of the station at Boys Avenue is being replaced because of frequent breakdowns and will only be ready in late April.
One of them is John Harrington, 73, of Prospect, who said he felt helpless without the lift.
‘‘It is preventing me from using the train to travel home and to Sydney,’’ he said.
‘‘I can’t use the staircase as it is too high and too winding for my legs.’’
Mr Harrington said RailCorp should have built a subway station like the one at Strathfield or ramp which would not breakdown and need to be replaced.
He has written letters of complaint to NSW Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian and federal Greenway MP Michelle Rowland.
‘‘I wrote to Ms Rowland because this is a breach of the federal Anti-Discrimination Act and I want the federal government to do something.’’
Ms Rowland said she had written to Ms Berejiklian and that she would write to Mr Harrington again after getting a reply from Ms Berejiklian.
‘‘The State Government promised to make 85 per cent of stations in Sydney accessible to people with mobility problems,’’ she said.
‘‘That hasn’t happened for locals who use Blacktown, Pendle Hill and Toongabbie stations.
‘‘That’s why I have launched a petition calling on the State Government to upgrade these stations.’’
A spokeswoman said RailCorp is carrying out a $4.5 million program to replace lifts at stations which are regularly out of service.
She said work started on January 29 and would continue until the end of April.
‘‘Station posters and guard announcements are providing details about alternative arrangements for customers who require lift access,’’ she said.
‘‘If you need lift access to the station via Boys Avenue, please catch one of the Busways or Hillsbus accessible services operating from Devitt Street T-way Station (near the corner of Sunnyholt Road and Devitt Street) and travel to the bus interchange, which has lift access to the station footbridge.’’
Tickets will not be required for people travelling between Devitt Street T-way Station and the bus interchange and who need lift access.
To check the accessibility visit www.131500.com.au or phone 131 500.