FAILING OUR DISABLED PASSENGERS
Major changes to mobility regulations in respect of rail vehicles took effect from January 1, but despite 10 years notice, the industry has been slow to introduce new accessible trains. Adaptation of stations to meet the needs of passengers with disabilit
At the time of writing it is the end of 2019 and Twitter is full of depressingly similar examples of disabled passengers being left on trains, made uncomfortable by poorly trained staff and made to feel like second class citizens. How and why are we still failing our disabled passengers?
Making rail travel accessible is so much more than providing ramps, (though they are of course very important) it comprises multiple elements. From the type of information screens used to the size and material of handrails, the use of braille signs, colour contrast on doors, audible alarms for closing doors and so much more, the specifications for rolling stock are tailored to attempt to meet the needs of all passengers.
Sadly, not all units are currently compliant, despite the January 1, 2020 deadline, a fact not helping our disabled passengers feel valued as customers. However, most of the UK’s rolling stock is moving in the right direction to ensure not only compliance but passenger comfort and satisfaction.
When so much effort goes into designing the stock to meet rail vehicle accessibility regulations (RVAR), why are so many disabled passengers on record as saying the rail industry makes them feel like second class citizens?
Twitter snapshot
At this juncture, it is worth pointing out although some disability advocates make a point to acknowledge the days when their travel is stress free, mostly when the system works, we tend not to hear about it. The occasions that make the headlines are when it fails.
Rail Delivery Group (RDG) accessibility and inclusion manager Dominic Lund-Conlon commented: “Twitter is a very small snapshot of millions of journeys that we do every day,
9 in 10 customers (data gathered from customers who pre-book) are satisfied with the assistance we provide.”
Nonetheless, that statistic does mean that 10% of customers are not happy, with incidents leaving disabled passengers not only dissatisfied with their experience but often very upset. Dominic is quick to highlight this is not acceptable. “Everyone should be satisfied – if not really happy – so where issues occur it’s right that we found out what led to that and then we put in the fix, record it and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Dr Hannah Barham-Brown travels by rail between Leeds and London at least once a week. Like many people who travel, her trains are often booked less than 24 hours in advance, so she is unable to book assistance.
As a wheelchair user, she requires a ramp to move between the platform and the train, yet despite the hardware being available, Hannah says she has often been left on a train at the end of her return journey.
“The last month or so has been particularly bad, I’ll get left on a train once a week. I will do two journeys and get left on one.” Accessibility should be getting better not worse, yet communications breakdown. Hannah said King’s Cross staff phone ahead to Leeds, who “just deny all knowledge of the calls”.
Hannah’s case is not an isolated one. Paralympian Sophie Christiansen shared a video in August 2019 of another passenger holding the doors open, to prevent the train from leaving with her on it after the guard failed to show up with the ramp.
“It’s not acceptable that someone who is very independent ends up in tears on a train because of
the stress of a simple journey”