Epsom and Ewell councillors have voted to back a bid to spend up to £500,000 on building step and obstacle free access to Stoneleigh station.

The strategy and resources committee met on October 24 to vote on whether to back South Western Railway’s proposal to make Surrey’s eighth busiest station accessible for disabled people.

Stoneleigh is the borough’s only rail station that is completely inaccessible for some disabled people, and access can be difficult for cyclists and passengers with young children and, shopping bags.

Councillors pledged a commitment of up to £500,000 to help with the costs of the project, estimated to cost around £5m.

The train company is bidding for funding from the Department for Transport’s ‘Access for All’ scheme, which provides part funding to projects that increase accessibility to transport infrastructure.

Cllr Eber Kington, chairman of the strategy and resources committee, said: “Addressing the station’s inadequate access for the disabled is a top priority for the borough council.

“The station is also becoming increasingly busier for commuters to London and others and it must be available to everyone.

“Our hope is that our financial commitment to the project will make for a successful bid and release a further £4.5 million to be spent on the Stoneleigh station upgrade”.

The Department of Transport announced £300 million of funding in July 2018 to transform the accessibility of stations across the country.

The aim is to deliver “step free and obstacle free access” from street to platform. The programme is called ‘Access for All’.

The council has approached Surrey County Council and the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) for their support for the bid, including a request for a funding contribution.