Fiona Bruce MP has taken Sandbach station's bid to be more accessible to disabled people to the House of Commons.

Disabled passengers currently only have easy access to Platform 2 at the station unless they can negotiate a bridge to Platform 2.

This means that those in a wheelchair have no option other than to get the train to Crewe then come back on themselves to get on to the Manchester Piccadilly line.

But Fiona Bruce has now taken the issue to Parliament and it will now be put forward to the Secretary of State for Transport.

She wants the problem solved with a lift through the Accessible Stations Fund – a move warmly welcomed by the Friends of Sandbach Station who say it is the only station not accessible to disabled passengers on the Manchester to Crewe line.

Northern Rail and Cheshire East Council officers put in a bid to Network Rail for improvements to made for Disabled passengers, work which has been supported by Cheshire East councillors and Sandbach Town Council.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Fiona Bruce said: "Does the Leader of the House agree that it should be a priority in funding station improvements to ensure that all platforms, and therefore all trains, are accessible by all passengers?

"A bid to the accessible stations fund for lifts at Sandbach station to facilitate that should be strongly supported, as indeed it is by the local MP."

Congleton MP, Fiona Bruce

Responding to Fiona's question, Mark Spencer MP, Leader of the House of Commons said: "I pay tribute to my Honourable Friend for the campaign she has run.

"I, too, have campaigned in my constituency, as Mr Speaker has in his, to try to improve access to railway services for those with disabilities.

"It is certainly something that the Secretary of State for Transport takes very seriously and he is trying to address it with funding and opportunities for bids for funding.

Mark Spencer MP, Leader of the House of Commons

"I am sure my Honourable Friend will take the opportunity at Transport questions next week to raise the matter directly with the Secretary of State."

John Scarrott, chair of the Friends of Sandbach Station (FOSS) welcomed the MP's efforts.

He said: "I just hope we get funding to do this. From what I can remember, there are two options – one costing £2.4m and the other £3.4 m.

"It would need the station to have to be rebuilt and it would involve a fair amount of work but we definitely need this.

"We're the only station on the Manchester to Crewe line without disabled access."