SIS were recently sent this link to a BBC News item about wheelchair access to trains (I know the article’s a bit old). The article focuses on a local issue in England, but it got me thinking about access to rail services in Scotland.
I must confess, as a wheelchair user, my transport of choice is my car. I rarely use the train for anything other than long trips to the likes of London. Even in those rare situations, I can usually book well in advance and I’m almost always travelling to major stations that have good accessibility.
But what if I decided to follow the pleas of the environmental lobby and switch from my car to public transport?
Well since I live in Glasgow I can completely rule out the option of bus travel. (A quick look at the First Bus’s customer charter shows that they currently only have just over 70% of their fleet accessible to wheelchairs, and even that’s the best in Glasgow! I’ll save that rant for another time.) The underground is also inaccessible, so I guess my only realistic option is going to be the train. But how realistic is that?
The Scotrail website has a section for checking each station’s facilities, but it’s a bit vague i.e. for my nearest station it says it has a “lift or stairs down to ticket hall and Island platform”. Does that mean I have the option of lift OR stairs, or that there is only one OR the other?
The National Rail Enquiries website on the other hand, has a far more comprehensive resource for disabled passengers. Under the “stations and destinations” section I can find a plan of any station in the UK. Each plan not only shows key features such as lifts and toilets, but when you hover over each item a photo of that particular facility is shown, along with a description (you need to view the larger version of the plan for this facility to work). This is a truly fantastic resource. I only wish this were adopted for other places such as hotels and restaurants.
Back on the “passengers with disabilities” section there’s even more information. I can check each train company’s rolling stock for access and facilities, I can check both national and local route maps that show which station have barrier-free access and which don’t, and I can also find out which discounts and concessions are available to me.
A lot of people are aware of the Disabled Persons Railcard. This entitles you and an adult companion to 1/3 off most train fares for £18 per year or £48 for 3 years. What most people don’t realise is that you can still get discounts even without this card, albeit only on “anytime” tickets, and only if you require staying in a wheelchair for your journey. Click here for more info on this.
I’m now armed with a lot more information than I had before, I know which stations have the right facilities for me, and my Disabled Persons Railcard is in the post. I guess I’d better go and check out the service for myself!
If you have any experience of rail travel, train and station facilities (good or bad), fare discounts, or just some good tips and advice, please get in touch with us or just comment on this post.
info@sisonline.org
National Rail Enquiries: 08457 48 49 50 www.nationalrail.co.uk
Scotrail: www.scotrail.co.uk
Disabled Persons Railcard: www.disabledpersons-railcard.co.uk
