A NEW group hopes to breathe new life into two of Hyde’s railways stations after seeing how they were essentially overlooked.
The Friends of Hyde Loop have already applied for funding to make Hyde Central wheelchair accessible on both platforms after hearing about problems.
The society has adopted Hyde North, off Johnsonbrook Road, and Hyde Central, which stands off Great Norbury Street, as well as Woodley.
It hopes to bring new life and colour to the area, with new planting and artwork being put in place.
But Ian Winston, of the group, hopes to see Hyde Central made wheelchair accessible on both platforms.
He said: “At Hyde Central, there’s a mobility shop, where people can buy wheelchairs and things for people who aren’t mobile enough, nearby.
“But I had to help an elderly woman in a wheelchair off a train there and she said, ‘Well, how do I get back to Manchester?’
“I replied, ‘You’ll have to get on the train where you got off, go all the way to Rose Hill then stay on it back to Manchester.’
“She was like, ‘You’re joking.’ I said, ‘I know.’
“People could get there on one side but not get back. The Manchester-bound platform has steps but I think it would be quite easy to put a lift there too.
“Now I’m trying to get the funding for it.”
Friends of Hyde Loop actually tried to adopt the stations two years ago but after not hearing anything, Northern Rail issued an appeal last year
Ian, who works as a train conductor, got together with Tony Hancock, Andy Sullivan and Alex Berry to make their claim.
Now after landing the three stations and securing funding from Northern, plans are being formed after they were joined by Ian’s fiancée Alyson Lawson for their first activity, a litter pick.
“We’re hopefully going to be a group that plants up planters at the stations and keeps them tidy,” added Ian, who is looking for new volunteers but hopes to make an impact by the end of the year.
“The idea at the moment is to make them look better, get the community involved and maybe run some events before the end of the year.
“We’ll give them a lick of paint and get some artwork from schools and groups that are local to the stations.
“Both Hyde North and Hyde Central definitely needed some TLC and we’re going to approach local firm DB Nurseries to see if they can help.
“At Hyde Central, there aren’t many places to plant unless you have a planter but there are a couple of grassy areas at Hyde North. It’s quite a big project.
“Friends groups can make stations seem like new. Get a bit of colour to them and there’s a bit of nostalgia too – it’ll be good for passengers to see too.
“And we hope to start making a impact by the end of this year.”
• Anyone looking to get involved with Friends Of Hyde Loop can contact them via email at friendsofhydeloop@gmail.com or through their Twitter or Facebook pages.