To help deliver Britain’s Railway Upgrade Plan and prepare the way for brand new high-speed railway, Network Rail is carrying out major improvement work across the West Coast main line over the Easter and early May bank holidays (19-22 April and 4-6 May). This work affects all West Coast journeys: services will be reduced, and London’s Euston station will be closed on these days. This means mobility travel assistance will not be available at Euston for passengers over these days. The information has been on National Rail Enquires from 12 weeks before the works. In addition, all staff working on passenger mobility assistance are briefed
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Improving access to Great Britain’s railway stations is a key priority for this government and we want all passengers to be able to travel easily and confidently. The Department’s Access for All programme is critical to delivering this; the programme has already delivered an accessible, step free route at more than 200 stations, as well as smaller scale accessibility improvements at more than 1,500 others. The Inclusive Transport Strategy, published on 25 July 2018, included a commitment to extend the Access for All programme, announcing an additional £300 million of funding from the public purse. Our approach is to work with transport operators
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With effect from 1 April 2019, ScotRail has reduced the advance booking period for passenger assist bookings from three hours to two hours (for any ScotRail services).  The advance notification period for journeys involving other train operators remains unchanged as present. ScotRail is dedicated to assisting disabled customers and customers with reduced mobility, including the elderly or others who require assistance to help them travel on the railway.  We are committed to always doing our best to help customers who need assistance at stations and on train.  If you want to know more about our commitment to supporting disabled customers,
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You may be aware that under our Beyond Accessibility programme, we are delivering a series of improvements throughout the entire journey for our customers who need additional assistance. We want to be able to take our service to a new level, supporting the principles of focussing on Accessibility and at the same time ensuring the journey process for customers with different types of disabilities, is as easy and simple as possible. Therefore we have partnered with Ethos Farm, who are an innovative company focussed on improving service, with experience in the field of disability. They will gather feedback from key
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SEStran is working with five digital developers to produce a proof of concept journey planning application that will be designed specifically for disabled people. The aim is to develop an App that will provide relevant route information in a clear way, detailing information about which travel option to use, where to get on and off, providing information about what to do if lost, and enabling a carer to monitor where the person is and communicate with them. As part of the Thistle Assistance program, SEStran is creating an opportunity for developers and passengers who require assistance to work together on
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Calmac Making Connections Adrossan Many journeys rely on us changing from one type of transport to another, navigating the spaces between services, where one ‘stops’ and another ‘starts’. But even short transfers have potential barriers – crossing a busy street, poor lighting, difficulty finding a place to sit down and rest. But who’s responsible for the quality and accessibility of the connection? And what’s the best way for everyone concerned to work together to improve it? ‘Making Connections’ will bring disabled people together with transport operator staff and other professionals to experience and assess journey connections between rail and ferry
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Cardiac arrest defibrillators have been installed in 15 of Glasgow’s taxis. Taxi firm, Glasgow Taxis, has taken on the lifesaving initiative with a new medical trial. The trial is the first of its kind to be rolled out in Scotland and will see drivers equipped with the life-saving devices during their shift around the city. The drivers will be fully trained to use them in the event of emergencies and Glasgow Taxis has already put in place a first aid training policy with the aim to highlight their community commitment. Lifesaving Initiative Stephen Lally, one of the defibrillator-trained drivers, has previously
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ScotRail has become the latest organisation to support a schoolgirl’s campaign to raise awareness of ‘invisible’ disabilities. The train operator has installed ‘Grace’s Sign’ at accessible toilets in its stations across Scotland. Grace’s Sign is a bathroom sign that includes both a person in a wheelchair and a standing person with a heart, symbolising people with invisible conditions. Thirteen-year-old Grace Warnock, who has Crohn’s Disease, came up with the idea for a more inclusive sign after facing criticism from strangers when she used accessible toilets. The innovative signs can also be found at other locations across the country including at
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You can now enjoy more seats and more services on some of our busiest routes across the country. Connecting Scotland’s seven cities and beyond, our fleet of Classic InterCity trains are helping us on our way to build the best railway Scotland has ever had. Make the most of your journey With complimentary WiFi, more seats, more room and more comfort, you can sit back, relax and enjoy your journey. First-class carriages boast even more legroom, additional tables and free WiFi. You’ll also enjoy complimentary food and drinks, served to your seat. With a wide range of hot and cold
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