Accessible Rail Travel – Getting Around The UK By Train This Summer

The National Rail assisted travelling service, which provides help for less-able passengers, say that: “the experience of travelling by rail, when you book in advance, is second to none, you will not get that service anywhere else on any other modes of transport”. We wondered if this is something that fits in with our readers’ experiences and what they’ve done to improve the experience of travelling by rail in recent years.

At his time of year, during summer, and it is summer, regardless of what it might look like outside, it’s a nice time to go for a trip to a major UK city by train, so we made a guide to the accessibility of doing this.

We were originally going to write a list of ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ for travelling by train if you’re disabled. But it seemed to boil down to one major ‘do’: ‘Book in advance’. If you are able to do that, then the journey should be reasonably easy. If you’re planning a city-break, this is OK but if you can’t book ahead, then things will be quite a lot trickier.

Train stations and the National Rail Passenger Assistance service say that, if you need assistance, you need to tell them in advance that you will be coming. This isn’t perfect but because they print out information on the day’s assistance at the beginning of each day – about where and when staff need to be  – they need at least one day’s notice. In most cases, in order to make sure you can reserve a wheelchair space on the train, it makes more sense to speak to them as soon as you buy your ticket. In fact, the best thing to do is almost certainly to buy your ticket, over the phone, in order to sort out any assistance there and then. If you were feeling like this lacks spontaneity and fun then maybe this will cheer you up: booking ahead also brings the benefit of cheaper tickets.

 

The National Rail has set up a website, called Disability Onboard, that aims to encourage disabled people to travel by train by providing accurate advice and guidance. On the site they explain how the Passenger Assistance service can help passengers. These services should apply across all National Rail train operators:

“Station staff can meet you at the station and assist you as required, whether that is help with purchasing your ticket, getting to your platform, boarding the train or finding your seat.

“Train staff will also assist you if you need an accessible wheelchair space and make sure other customers do not block the area with their luggage; they can bring you food and refreshments from the restaurant carriage, or simply alert you when your station is coming up.

“You can also be guided off the train, through the arrival or interchange station and assisted with your onward travel arrangements such as catching a bus or booking an accessible taxi.”

The Disability Onboard site provides this map which apparently shows all the stations with step-free access. The term step-free access is a bit confusing – they’re idea of step-free must be different to most people’s. They’re presumably referring to availability of step-free access from street to platform level as the idea of access from the platform to the train, without a ramp, is hard to imagine. The accessible stations also have portable ramps.

If one of the stations you need to use is not accessible (i.e. it doesn’t have step-free access) then you can take an alternative route for free. Normally this means getting off at the nearest accessible station and taking a cab. This is helpful, but why not just make all stations accessible? How hard can it be to meet what is a pretty low expectation?

Since different stations are served by different rail companies you need to know about the access for the particular service. When you buy a ticket you will need to call the assistance team of the individual rail company. The companies’ access assistance phone numbers are available here.

If you call the company responsible for the first leg of your journey, they can sort out assistance for your entire journey through National Rail. However, if you need a wheelchair space on the trains you may need to call each individual company that you will be travelling with – ask when you speak to the first leg customer services. In the case of the city to city travel that we’re highlighting here, this is less likely to be an issue.

Everything so far, should apply across the board for all trains, but there are also some differences between the different rail companies. In order to work out what the access is like on board each service, we’ve spoken to the companies who go to most major cities in the country. We found out how the access would be if you were travelling from London to each city and around some of the major northern cities – you see, we realise that London isn’t the centre of the universe. We advise that you ask about your specific needs when you call to book your tickets.

Here are the details for each train company including broad details of their access information and their major destinations:

First Great Western:

Trains to: London, Bristol, Cardiff, Oxford

Phone: 08001 971 329

Access Webpage

• High speed trains have 1 wheelchair space in first class and 1 in standard class
• Smaller trains have 2 wheelchair spaces on them which operate on a first come, first serve basis.
• If you want to reserve a wheelchair space on a particular service but the space is taken you can change train time or upgrade to first class for free.
• Mobility scooter users need a permit and will need to fill in an application form to see if their scooter is allowed on the train.
• There are accessible toilets on board.
• If the station is inaccessible an accessible taxi can be taken from the nearest accessible station for free (should be the case on the other train companies too).

Virgin Trains

Trains to: London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester

Phone: 08457 443 366

Access webpage

• The number of wheelchair spaces varies depending on the train operator.
• Most Virgin Trains have 1 wheelchair space in first class and 2 in standard class. The standard class wheelchair spaces are usually in coaches B and D and the first class space in coach J.
• The spaces are big enough for some scooters but not all. The size limit is 70cm x 120cm and it’s better if you have a triangular wheelbase as they are more manoeuvrable in the confined space of the train.
• If the wheelchair space on the train you want is taken you have to purchase a ticket for another train – no discount is available.
• It’s best to book over the phone so that you can sort out any assistance you need then. If you book online you have to then call to sort out assistance and the wheelchair space may already have been taken. Over the telephone this will be avoided. Again this goes for all networks.
• There are ramps at most stations which they use when possible but if necessary there are ramps on the trains.
• New trains have accessible toilets.

London Midland

Trains to: London, Liverpool, Birmingham, Wolverhampton

Phone: 08706 09 60 60

Access Webpage

• Most trains have 2 wheelchair spaces but you cannot book them – it’s on a first come first, serve basis. There is not first class at all.
• Accordingly there is no guarantee that you will be able to get a wheelchair space. This means that if you can’t get on the train you can go on the next one, even if it would have been more expensive originally.
• You can take a mobility scooter on board as long as it can folded to a size no more than 70cm x 120cm.
• Any size electric wheelchair is allowed.
• Ramps are available at stations if you organise them in advance or if the station is unstaffed you can use a ramp available on the train.
• Some services have accessible toilets – check details here or call to find out more.

East Coast

Trains to: London, Leeds, York, Newcastle, Edinburgh

Phone: 08457 225 225

Access Webpage

• 1 wheelchair space in first class and 2 spaces in standard class.
• You should phone through to assistance after ordering your ticket online or just book the tickets over the phone and sort out what you need there and then.
• There are ramps on the trains or preferably at the station.
• Mobility scooters are allowed as long as they can be folded to 70cm x 120cm in standard class or 55cm x 120cm in first class.
• Standard requirement that you call at least 24 hours ahead of your journey in order to sort out assistance. If you can book sooner do but later than 24 hours before is essential.
• Accessible toilets are available in standard and First class in most cases.

First TransPennine Express

Trains from: Manchester to Glasgow/Edinburgh/Sheffield or Liverpool to Leeds/Newcastle

Phone: 0800 107 2149

Access Webpage

• Most trains have 1 reservable wheelchair in standard class, 1 reservable wheelchair space in first class and 1 non-reservable wheelchair space in standard class.
• If there is no space on a non-peak train you have to pay the difference to use the next train – so you need to make sure you have a reserved seat and book well ahead if you possibly can.
• Having said that, you may be given a free upgrade to first-class if the wheelchair space in standard class is taken and the first-class space is available.
• If stations are inaccessible for wheelchair users they will arrange alternative transport without increasing the price of your ticket i.e. a taxi from the nearest accessible station
• Scooters can be used on the trains but you need to get a scooter permit from the train company by filling out a form.
• Accessible toilets in standard class, adjacent to first class.