Paul Cartwright, 53, was stranded at Dewsbury train station after staff had gone home (Picture: SWNS)

A former Paralympian has said he felt like he had been ‘abandoned’ on a platform in the freezing cold.

Paul Cartwright, 53, was returning home after a day trip to Manchester when he got stuck on a platform at Dewsbury train station for hours because there was no access to the station lift.

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The former British wheelchair sprinting champion was appalled at the lack of disabled access for people.

The Liversedge resident said: ‘It is nearly 25 years on from the introduction of the Disability Discrimination Act and this sort of thing shouldn’t be happening.


‘In this day and age if you are providing facilities they should be available to use at all times. I understand the staff need to go home, but if the station is open and trains are running it should be open to everyone.’

Paul Cartwright when he represented Great Britain in the Paralympics (Picture: SWNS)

He was only saved after using an emergency phone at the station to speak to authorities who managed to get an express train to Newcastle to stop at the station and pick him up.



Mr Cartwright was taken to Leeds and the Trans-Pennine Express supplied a taxi back to his car in Dewsbury.

At Leeds station, Paul was greeted by a man who apologised for what had happened and offered Paul a £50 voucher in compensation.

Paul, who was the first Briton to win an international gold medal in a wheelchair event at 31st Internationale Stoke Mandeville Games, added: ‘The staff who helped me were great and this isn’t a slight on them, but it’s about taking a stand about what’s right, and legally right.

‘If the keypad has to be locked then give people with disabilities access. Get it sorted. Disabled people shouldn’t be discriminated against in this day and age.’

The disabled access at Dewsbury train station was not wotnkomg (Picture: Getty)

A spokesperson for Trans-Pennine Express said: ‘Dewsbury station does have customer lifts but due to significant antisocial behaviour that has previously taken place in the lifts themselves, we had to close this service out of hours – when the station was not staffed.

‘We appreciate that this is not ideal, but feel this is the right decision given that the safety of all our customers is of paramount importance to us.’

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