Cheltenham Spa railway station is to get a new lift and a new accessible ramp as part of a £24m programme of accessibility work at five stations in the west of England.
What Happened
Network Rail announced on 30 October 2026 that five stations across the west of England would benefit from more than £24m of accessibility improvements. Cheltenham Spa is one of them, alongside Weston-super-Mare, Castle Cary, Lostwithiel and Torquay.
The work is being carried out with Great Western Railway (GWR), which operates services at the station.
Lift and Ramp Planned for Cheltenham
A new lift will be installed on the northbound platform, and a new accessible ramp will be built for the southbound platform. Both platforms currently have steep ramps.
The lift is due to open in spring 2028. Network Rail said Cheltenham, like Castle Cary, welcomes thousands of extra passengers for some of the region’s biggest events, and that the improvements will help people using the station every day.
Background
The package covers more than station lifts. At Weston-super-Mare, two lifts are being added to the Grade II-listed footbridge, which first opened in 1884. At Lostwithiel, a permanent footbridge is being built to replace a temporary one installed in 2024. Torquay is getting a 13-metre ramp between platforms, part of the government’s Access for All programme, due to finish in spring 2027.
GWR said improving accessibility helps passengers feel confident and comfortable using the railway.
What Happens Next
The release gives a spring 2028 date for the Cheltenham lift but no start date for the building work. Work at Castle Cary is expected to begin after the 2027 Glastonbury Festival, and the Weston-super-Mare lifts are due to open in autumn 2027.
This is a developing story and will be updated if Network Rail or GWR publishes further detail on the Cheltenham works.
