The Government yesterday announced that all trains will be accessible to disabled people by the year 2020, but campaigners said the date was too far away.

Transport minister Charlotte Atkins said existing trains will also be made more accessible when they are refurbished.

"Trains are a vital link in the accessible transport chain and it is important that disabled people have confidence that, when travelling by rail, the train that arrives will be accessible to them.

"I am therefore pleased to announce our proposals to make all trains accessible by 2020 and our intention to make existing trains more accessible when they are refurbished."

The announcement was made ahead of a campaign this week to highlight the "social exclusion" created by the lack of disabled access to trains and stations.

Disabled people from across the country will travel to London by train on Wednesday to highlight the "shameful" lack of facilities and call for urgent action to improve access to rail services.

Andy Rickell, spokesman for the so-called Ticket2Ride campaign said: "We are pleased the Government acknowledges that there are severe problems with trains, however 2020 is too far away.

"We would like to see incremental improvement targets, so that accessible trains are in place well before the proposed end date.

"Many disabled people find that so called accessible trains are not as accessible as the Government claims anyway.

"There are still stations in the country where there is no intention to make them accessible."

John Knight, head of policy at disability charity Leonard Cheshire, said: "The year 2020 is later than we would have liked but the key now is to ensure that these regulations are properly enforced.

"It is a relief to actually have a date after years of discussion and prevarication. Some elements in the rail industry have already hinted that they could simply ignore the regulations.

"They must be told that disabled people and the Government will not let this happen, because years is long enough to wait."