ORPINGTON: MP says it's 'beyond ridiculous' train station lifts are still broken (From News Shopper)

MP Jo Johnson puts pressure on Southeastern to fix Orpington railway station lifts

4:27pm Monday 7th February 2011 in News By Michael Purton

Orpington MP Jo Johnson

MP Jo Johnson says it is “beyond ridiculous” that the lifts at Orpington train station have been out of service since before Christmas.

The Orpington MP says he is putting as much pressure as possible on Southeastern Trains, which runs the station, to get the lifts working again.

UK Power Networks, which supplies electricity to the station, has tried to restore enough voltage to the lifts to get them working but it has not been successful.

Mr Johnson said: “It’s beyond ridiculous that lifts which are essential for people with limited mobility have not been working for so long.

"I have today again made clear to Southeastern and UK Power Networks that they must do everything in their power to restore this essential service.

"Continued failure to meet the needs of passengers with limited mobility is an appalling dereliction of duty for which both companies must and will be held account.”

He added: “UK Power Networks have made five or six visits and unbelievably they have not been able to get enough voltage to the lifts.

“I can’t understand why. It’s not like it’s a power reactor.

“They need to show greater imagination to get this fixed.”

A spokesman for UK Power Networks said: "We carried out work and believe our side of the electricity distribution network is functioning as it should.

"However, to help our customer, Southeastern Trains, we will be installing specialist voltage recording equipment at the station to try to pinpoint the problems for them."

A Southeastern spokesman said: “We appreciate their [UK Power Networks] help on this and hopefully this can be resolved as quickly as possible.”

But the spokesman could not say when the lifts would be repaired.

Parents with pushchairs and disabled people have complained about the broken lifts.

Simon Weatherley uses Orpington station every weekday to take his 15-month-old daughter to nursery, and is forced to carry her in her buggy up and down the staircase.

The 40-year-old, who lives in Woodside in Chelsfield, said: “I can carry the buggy up and down the stairs but this bothers me as I have been knocked several times while doing this when people are rushing to get to trains.

“I am scared one day I will drop the buggy which would injure my daughter.

“I don’t feel I am expecting too much for the lifts to be working or at least getting an estimated time for when they will be.”