WORK on a bridge that will give disabled people access to London trains from Farnborough Main station will begin this summer – nearly 20 years after campaigning for it by politicians and residents.

Network Rail confirmed the intended start date for the work, which will take place after the current work being done to the station’s forecourt and car park.

It said the bridge would take roughly 12 months to build.

The station  - also used by some London commuters from Mytchett, Deepcut, Frimley and Camberley - has only ever had a normal footbridge linking platforms.

Planning permission was given for a new bridge with elevators on either side so that people can avoid climbing the stairs.

A Network Rail spokesman said it was at "an advanced stage" with the new bridge and was finalising plans.

Work on it will begin when refurbishment of the forecourt and car park, being undertaken by South West Trains and Hampshire County Council, is completed in May.

That began in November and includes a new forecourt, a dedicated bus and taxi lane and a park-and-ride scheme.

The scheme also includes a dedicated cycle area and CCTV cameras.

Patricia Devereux, a former borough and county councillor, began lobbying British Rail for the change nearly 20 years ago, when a disabled resident complained.

Mrs Devereux said she was elated when permission for the bridge was given and described the progress with the lobbying as "maddening".

“I campaigned for it – that’s putting it mildly,” she said.

“I was contacted by a resident, who told me that if he wanted to get a train to London he had to go to Basingstoke or Fleet.

“I spoke to my fellow councillors and we decided it was something we should have. So we pretty much campaigned for it.

“We got within three weeks of the work starting but then British Rail changed its name to Network Rail.

“We went back 100% to square one then. It all stopped.

“Hopefully, I say hopefully, it will all be going ahead and we will have the bridge.

“When I heard that planning permission had been given, I thought, well it’s about time for it.”

Mrs Devereux continued having meetings with the new management, and planning permission was eventually given in March last year.

This was three months before Mrs Devereux, who is now 81, stood down from representing Farnborough South on the county council.

The bridge is part of Network Rail’s access for all scheme, in which it will adapt 140 stations at a cost of £370m to make them more accessible.

Farnborough Main is in the group of stations due to have the work done by the end of 2011.

The programme will end by 2016.

Farnborough charity Parity for Disability, which works with severely disabled people, regularly has to find different stations when it organises day trips to London.

The platforms at Farnborough North and North Camp stations are accessible without crossing a footbridge.

Parity for Disability members have sat on transport forums for the area where the access issue at Farnborough Main is often raised.

Parity chief executive, Alison Cooper, said the day-trip groups would often use Fleet station instead

“A lot of our clients are wheelchair users who just can’t climb those stairs,” she said.

“Also a lot of them have highly specialised electric chairs which are a big no-no.

“At least access isn’t as bad as it used to be. At least you can get on the trains now.

“It used to be that you would have to ride in the guard’s van because trains had the slam shut doors.

“They were too narrow to get a wheelchair on.

“Nowadays they have ramps and things like that to get you on.”

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