BOURNEMOUTH council has pledged to put pressure on train operators to spend the £1.1million needed to install new lifts at Pokesdown train station.

Campaigners have been lobbying the government for the station’s disused shaft, which has not carried lifts for almost 40 years, to be fully refurbished in order to improve accessibility for disabled people, the elderly and young children.

Last year this saw Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood hold discussions with South West Trains bosses and transport ministers.

And Cllr Andy Jones raised the matter again at the full council meeting on Tuesday night, branding the situation “totally unsatisfactory”.

“Over the last four years the local station action group in my ward has fought hard for the installation of much-needed lifts at Pokesdown station,” he said.

“Despite some initial progress being made, frustratingly this has not continued.”

Transport portfolio holder, Cllr Mike Greene, said that the borough had been in talks with the Department for Transport (DfT), asking it to make installing new lifts a condition of the next train operator's franchise agreement.

“The new operating contract commences in 2017 and officers have met with representatives of both the two shortlisted train operators, who are competing for the franchise, strongly encouraging them that even if the DfT doesn’t include it in the specification, then those competing bids should look to include the lifts in their own bids – even it is not a firm requirement,” said Cllr Greene.

“We are going to continue to lobby wherever it is possible to ensure that those improvements are made.

“If the installation of the lifts isn’t achieved through the franchise contract then we will make sure we put pressure on the train operator to make an application through the Access For All Fund.”

The franchise specification is expected to be published by the DfT at the end of this month.