SLOW progress on making Scotland’s train stations step-free will leave disabled passengers waiting decades for an accessible rail network, a charity warned yesterday.

Disability charity Leonard Cheshire said that 46 per cent of Scotland’s train stations are inaccessible to disabled people.

It warned that Britain’s railway network will not be fully accessible until 2070 unless progress improves.

In Scotland, only three stations — Breich, Dalwhinnie and Robroyston — have been upgraded in the past year to allow step-free access, according to Leonard Cheshire’s research.

The charity’s Scotland director Stuart Robertson said: “These findings reinforce the need for investment to ensure our rail network fully meets the needs of disabled people.

“It is a simple issue of equality that is even more relevant as we remain in an economic crisis for the foreseeable future.

“We have revealed a clear link between accessible rail and job opportunities for disabled people that will boost the economy and improve lives.”

A Transport Scotland spokesman said that the Scottish government was committed to improving access to stations beyond the UK-wide programme.