ACCESS to platform 2 at Cardenden Railway Station is "dangerous and life threatening" for wheelchair users and only of use "to a mountain goat".

Local resident Alana Anderson said a steep slope leading to the trains left husband Davie "terrified" he'd end up on the tracks.

She's backed calls for rail bosses to solve the problem at the station, which a local councillor said had seen little or no improvements in 150 years.

Alana said: "Having stayed in Cardenden nearly all my life, I have always made use of our train station, as did my husband Davie.

"This is no longer an option for us due to the dangerous and life threatening angle of the access/exit slope.

"Since having a stroke two years ago, Davie cannot travel independently due to the severe effects of the stroke.

"We used the train station recently, it was only when we returned to Cardenden from Edinburgh we realised how steep the slope really was."

She continued: "Davie was absolutely terrified when we attempted to go down the slope and eventually I had to reverse him down towards the exit, with the weight of him and his chair pushing against me.

"We eventually made it to the bottom with the assistance of other passengers.

"Not being able to use our local station is very restricting in terms of Davie's recovery and his mental wellbeing as we cannot go out on trips/social outings as easily as we should.

"Now we have to go to Kirkcaldy which, although not far away, it's definitely not as easy.

"The slope to platform 2 is definitely not accessible or safe for wheelchair users at all."

Cardenden Community Council, and local councillors, have now called on Network Rail and ScotRail to look at solutions to allow better access to platform 2.

Councillor Linda Erskine, who represents the Lochgelly, Cardenden and Benarty ward, said: “Cardenden and many surrounding villages are ill served by Network Rail.

"The station was built in the 1850’s and, from my experience, there has been little investment since that point.

"It is impossible to say that the station at Cardenden is accessible to anything other than a mountain goat.

"At the very least they are failing in their duty of care and their responsibility to passengers who fall into the protected categories covered by the Equalities Act 2010."

Councillor Rosemary Liewald, who represents the same ward, added: “Residents are very concerned and frustrated regarding the provision of disabled access to platform 2.

"Anyone without a motorised wheelchair would find this impossible to get up the path leading to the platform. And the hazard on descending this slope could result in a major accident.

"There are various residents in Cardenden who are wheelchair users. While we all understand that stations were built when disability laws such as the Equality Act were not in existence, we all live in a modern world and I believe rail companies are duty bound to participate and make attempts to adhere to these laws."

Dave Roy, chair of Cardenden Community Council, said “Everyone who travels on trains wants the same from it – accessibility, efficiency and reliability.

"People who have more difficulty accessing trains are no different.

"These people include parents with children or pushchairs, older people with mobility issues and, in particular, disabled people who should be able to use trains in order to get the same experience as everyone else."

A Network Rail spokesperson said: “Over the last decade more than £50 million has been invested in improving accessibility at 25 stations around Scotland through the government-funded Access for All scheme.

"We work closely with the government to assess accessibility at stations and to improve the facilities we offer to passengers, however, we have no plans at this time for changes to Cardenden station.”