Passengers should be treated better

It must have been a surreal and farcical experience for a businesswoman recovering from a major knee operation to be forced into using a restricted area and crossing a rail track on foot – just to get out of Aberdeen station.

It would be laughable if it was not so serious an issue for all train passengers suffering from disabilities.

Even able-bodied passengers have issues with crowded trains and lack of seating, but this is magnified for the disabled.

North-east businesswoman Carolyn Maniukiewicz had the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time as her train trundled into Aberdeen from Edinburgh. Having recently had an operation to replace a knee, and requiring a walking stick, she naturally expected a lift to access the exit from that platform. It was out of order.

A chain of events unfolded which saw her led off for an uncomfortable distance through an area from which passengers are banned, and with signs warning of “no trespass”, before being escorted across a non-public level crossing.

Scotrail appear to be arguing that this was standard contingency practice for these tricky situations; maybe their staff did use their initiative. However, the real question is this: it worked to Scotrail’s satisfaction, but was it right? Carolyn did eventually find her way out, but was it still humiliating and avoidable nonetheless?

“ScotRail appear to be arguing that this was standard contingency practice”