4
Good experience, but tiny lift
The James Street metro station is on a road that has a bit of an incline. I was able to navigate it well enough in my wheelchair but it is a noticeable incline.
The station is rated an “A” on the metro’s step-free access system. This means there is step-free access from the street to the train. I found the station easy to navigate for the most part. The signage was large, clear and easy to understand. The staff were really helpful and even radioed ahead to ask someone to show me to my platform when I mentioned it was my first time using the metro.
I travelled in two lifts to get to my platform; one was really large and would hold quite a lot of people, and the other was tiny. The smaller lift I struggled to fit into, and I have quite a small wheelchair. I had my power attachment on the front of my wheelchair and with this I found it really tricky to get in the lift properly so that the doors could close behind me. When I reached the platform, a second set of doors opened in front of me. Because of the angle I had to put myself into the lift, it was then really awkward to get out again.
I found the metro trains really easy to board as they have a sliding-step to bridge the gap between the train and the platform. There is a large wheelchair on the side of the train to show where the most accessible place to board is, there is then an access spot that has been really well designed, in my opinion, for those in wheelchairs or with any accessibility aids to sit.
This station provides services to most of the Wirral line so it’s a good station to use for most destinations.
I was impressed overall with the accessibility so I have given it a rating of “Good” for my experience. But I would be concerned about the size of the smaller lift for anyone with larger mobility equipment or wheelchairs, or needing to be accompanied in the lift. An alternative may be to use Liverpool Central or Lime Street metro stations which often provide services to the same locations.
The James Street metro station is on a road that has a bit of an incline. I was able to navigate it well enough in my wheelchair but it is a noticeable incline.
The station is rated an “A” on the metro’s step-free access system. This means there is step-free access from the street to the train. I found the station easy to navigate for the most part. The signage was large, clear and easy to understand. The staff were really helpful and even radioed ahead to ask someone to show me to my platform when I mentioned it was my first time using the metro.
I travelled in two lifts to get to my platform; one was really large and would hold quite a lot of people, and the other was tiny. The smaller lift I struggled to fit into, and I have quite a small wheelchair. I had my power attachment on the front of my wheelchair and with this I found it really tricky to get in the lift properly so that the doors could close behind me. When I reached the platform, a second set of doors opened in front of me. Because of the angle I had to put myself into the lift, it was then really awkward to get out again.
I found the metro trains really easy to board as they have a sliding-step to bridge the gap between the train and the platform. There is a large wheelchair on the side of the train to show where the most accessible place to board is, there is then an access spot that has been really well designed, in my opinion, for those in wheelchairs or with any accessibility aids to sit.
This station provides services to most of the Wirral line so it’s a good station to use for most destinations.
I was impressed overall with the accessibility so I have given it a rating of “Good” for my experience. But I would be concerned about the size of the smaller lift for anyone with larger mobility equipment or wheelchairs, or needing to be accompanied in the lift. An alternative may be to use Liverpool Central or Lime Street metro stations which often provide services to the same locations.
