Elsie Lange
For half a decade, Sunbury resident Mary Nehmy has been calling for an elevator to be installed at Sunbury Station, and despite major line works ongoing, there’s no plans for one on the horizon.
The 70-year-old suffers from acrophobia – an extreme fear of heights – and shortly after moving to Sunbury five years ago she discovered the stairs and ramp at the station were too high for her to use.
“It’s really just debilitating,” she said.
“It’s affected my life … I had no idea that this was going to happen. I wouldn’t have moved to Sunbury.”
She’s raised the issue with various members of the state government in the past, and even suggested filling in the gaps between the steps on the existing stairs as a solution – but was told heritage-listing prevented it.
The ramp is often not an option for her either, the phobia forcing her to trek an extra 10 or 15 minutes around to the other side. Before the upgrade works she could use two routes, but “now the worse one is the only one”.
“If I had [to change platforms] on my own… I would choose the ramp, not the stairs. It’s very high,” she said.
“Sometimes, I’ve been up there and I think, no I’m going to go on the ramp and I start to walk up, but then I just turn around and come back because I just can’t do it.”
A state government spokesperson said the government were investing significantly in upgrades to the transport network with the Sunbury Line Upgrade, the Gap Road Level Crossing Removal and the Sunbury Station Car Park Upgrade “all set to improve accessibility”.
“There’s always more that can be done, which is why we are continuing to work with the community on ways we can improve accessibility across our public transport network – including at Sunbury Station,” the spokesperson said.
She believes with all the money being invested in the transport network, some cash should have been diverted towards installing a lift.
“I’m very, very frustrated because they don’t seem to be looking after passengers,” Ms Nehmy said.
“With removing the railway crossing, that’s great, but that only affects people who drive.
“In terms of people who actually catch trains, there’s been absolutely nothing to help them.”
As part of the Sunbury Line Upgrade, wheelchair boarding pads are being installed to help raise the platform height to meet the level of the train to give people with mobility requirements or prams safer and easier access.
It is understood the Department of Transport is working to make public transport more accessible while attempting to preserve the historical features of railway precincts.
Ms Nehmy said she tried to “see the good side of things”, and even an enclosed set of escalators would improve her situation immensely.
“At least I don’t have a job that I have to go to five days a week and put up with this. I just wouldn’t be able to do it. I’d be running late if I worked in the city,” she said.
“You’d have to leave home, an hour and a half before, or something, in reality.”
