A £3MILLION project to improve "unacceptable" access for disabled passengers at Manningtree railway station has finally been completed.

Greater Anglia’s Access for All upgrade, which includes new two new lifts, was officially opened on Friday by Harwich and North Essex MP Bernard Jenkin.

Mr Jenkin was joined by Eileen Tyrer and Derek Monnery, of the Manningtree Rail Users Association, and Rowena Macaulay, Essex University’s Disability Champion, as well as representatives of Greater Anglia.

The train company said the investment means that Manningtree station is now more accessible for rail passengers, with much easier access between platforms.

Mr Jenkin, Ms Tyrer and the Manningtree Rail Users Association have campaigned since 2012 for the work to take place, following which Greater Anglia successfully applied for a Government ‘Access for All’ grant.

Ms Tyrer and her daughter Stephanie, who passed away last year, helped to secure funding after experiencing problems accessing the platforms.

Stephanie, a former mayor of Harwich, who suffered from congenital heart disease, travelled by train to London for treatment for 46 years but could not use the stairs due to her condition.

This meant she had to wait for station staff to escort her and her mother across the tracks.

Simone Bailey, Abellio Greater Anglia’s asset management director, said, “The problems that the Tyrer’s – and other passengers - endured at Manningtree were unacceptable and we were delighted to work with them and others to secure the funding to install the lifts.

"I would like to thank the Tyrer family for their help in accessing the funding and hope that Stephanie would have been pleased with the results.

"Ensuring that the railway is accessible to all is very important to us and I am delighted that the completion of this project means much easier access for passengers at Manningtree.”

Rowena Macaulay, Essex University’s disability champion, added: “It is excellent news that Manningtree station is now able to offer full access to all of its customers - to local people and visitors alike.

"Many smaller stations have difficult issues to address in respect of inclusive access, but the work at Manningtree shows that, through collaborative efforts, it is possible to bring about very significant and positive change.”