Lanyon Place Railway Station
4
4
Date of visit: March 2025
I am a disabled person. I have experience of challenges around: a hidden impairment, accessing toilets and moving around.
I use or have experience of: changing places toilet, disabled toilet, hidden impairment, powerchair, toilet with hoist, toilets, walking aid, wheelchair
Overall Rating
Good
Originally opened as Belfast Central way back in 1976, Lanyon Place has seen several refits in its 50 years and I attended in the middle of another. The station has routes to locations such as Derry-Londonderry, Bangor and Larne. This is a small but well-stocked station with a Changing Places toilet which, while poorly signposted is still an amazing feature.
Disabled Access In and Around
Good
There is a crossing with traffic lights close to the entrance, which has tactile paving and lowered kerbs on either side. The entrance has two steps with handrails, as well as a ramp on the right for those who find stairs difficult. The steps have tactile markings at the top and bottom. As you enter through the automatic doors, you'll find a Starbucks with plenty of seats on the right, along with power sockets to charge your phone, laptop or mobility device if needed. There are also hard plastic seats throughout the station. Also on the right, you'll find the ticket and information desk, which has a lowered section for wheelchair users and an operational induction loop. The ticket barriers are extra wide in some sections and lead through to the lifts. The lift buttons have braille and tactile markings. Escalators and stairs are also available, though the stairs aren't clearly marked. Rails are installed on both. I wasn't able to access the platforms during my visit, but I understand that platforms 1 and 4 have tactile markings on the platform edge. There is also a bar, but it was undergoing a refit during my visit.
Parking & Transport
Good
I wheeled to Lanyon Place Railway Station, but there is a bus stop directly across the road from the East Bridge Street entrance, where the following services operate: 1, 3B, 3C, 3D, 3E, 3H, 3J, 4C, 4D, 4E, 5, 5C, 5D, 5F, 6A, 6D, 6E, 7, 9, 9B, 10, 10B, 11, 12, 206, 502A, 502B, 505, 507, 511, 511B, 512, 655 – now that's a lot of buses! The closest car park is 321 metres away at the Multistory APCOA, which has 570 spaces, 5 of which have EV charging facilities. I'm unable to find the number of accessible parking spaces at this location, but APCOA advises they exist within the car park on their website. I didn't visit this car park, so I can't elaborate on the size of the spaces or the accessibility of the EV chargers. As a private parking facility, there are charges to park here, so please make sure to check the costs before deciding to park. A park-and-ride option exists near the Mays Meadow entrance, which has 7 accessible parking spaces. I didn't spot a drop-off point at the East Bridge Street entrance, but there is one at the Mays Meadow entrance, in addition to a taxi rank.
Accessible Toilets
Good
This station has both an accessible toilet and a Changing Places toilet, though the latter is poorly signposted. I'll break down each individually. Accessible Toilets: The door to the accessible toilet requires a RADAR key and opens inward. Inside, there is a contrasting toilet seat and contrasting grab rails on either side of both the toilet and the sink. The sink has a lever-style tap. There is space for a left-side transfer to the toilet seat. A right-side transfer might be possible, but space is limited. The room is quite small but can accommodate a powerchair and two additional people. The red emergency cord, while hanging free, is too long and trails on the ground. Changing Places Toilet: This facility includes a low-level toilet seat with contrasting grab rails on either side. A height-adjustable sink with a lever-style tap and grab rails on both sides is also installed. A ceiling track hoist is installed, but the hoist cord was wrapped around the hoist multiple times, making it difficult to use. The red emergency cord on the right of the toilet was also wrapped around a rail. I was able to correct the one near the toilet but not the one over the hoist, as it was too high up. A full-size height-adjustable changing bed is provided. There is plenty of manoeuvring space, but transfer space is mainly for a left-side transfer. A right-side transfer might be possible, but a privacy screen is positioned in that space. The Changing Places toilet also features a colostomy shelf. The lower rating reflects the red cords being tied up but otherwise the facilities are great.
Staff
Excellent
The staff were friendly and eager to help with my review.
