Disabled or elderly passengers who need assistance to board trains will be able to turn up and travel rather than book six hours ahead, under a scheme launched by South Western Railway.
The launch of “assisted boarding points” at stations on SWR, one of Britain’s biggest networks, allows passengers to contact a customer service team who then alert the guard on the next available train to ensure assistance is provided.
SWR said the service would require only 10 minutes’ notice. Standard industry practice is usually to request bookings the day before travel if possible to guarantee assistance.
The points, to be rolled out on all platforms across SWR’s 189 stations in the coming months, will include clear signage with a QR code that customers scan to send details of their journey and the type of assistance they require, such as a wheelchair ramp or visual impairment support.
The rail network described the scheme as an industry first that would make travel more accessible and the provision of assistance more efficient.
A spokesman said: “We know that not every journey is planned in advance, and indeed they shouldn’t have to be. We’re proud to be launching this industry-first service, which will make it markedly easier for our customers who require assistance to travel with minimum fuss or difficulty.”
Campaigners welcomed the scheme, but pointed out it would only help those with smartphones, and there was still much to do to ensure accessible travel.
Alan Benson, who sits on SWR’s accessibility panel and chairs Transport for All, has tested the assisted boarding point at his local station, Teddington in south-west London. He said: “Getting help on and off the train is vital for disabled people travelling, and this is the most common source of problems. Anything that makes this easier has to be welcomed.
“Other schemes set disabled people apart from other people’s travel experience. All across the country you have rail companies coming up with ideas to tackle a problem that we think should not be there. Given that caveat, SWR’s is probably the best of those.”
Sign up to the daily Business Today email or follow Guardian Business on Twitter at @BusinessDesk
Katie Pennick, the campaigns lead at Transport for All, said current national schemes and apps, such as Passenger Assistance, often failed to guarantee help, adding that staff shortages during the pandemic had worsened the situation. “There are no shortage of horror stories. In an ideal world – certainly in an accessible world – disabled people would be able to travel with the same ease and spontaneity as anyone else, and independently.”
Both Benson and Pennick said major investment and commitment in the UK were needed to create level boarding between platforms and trains, in order to allow many passengers, particularly wheelchair users, to travel independently.
This article was written by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent from The Guardian and was legally licensed through the Industry Dive publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@industrydive.com.
About the Motability Scheme
The Motability Scheme supports families in staying mobile by offering a unique, all-inclusive leasing package for brand new cars from all the major manufacturers. If you care for a child or someone who doesn’t drive, you can be added as a named driver instead. And as well as cars from a range of manufacturers, cars with adaptations, Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles, scooters and powered wheelchairs are available too.
If you’d like to find out more about the Scheme, request an information pack below and we’ll send you all the information that you need to make the right choice.
Related articles
Helen Dolphin’s tips for travelling by train
Tips for using public transport with a wheelchair or scooter
Tens of thousands of rail staff to be trained to help disabled passengers
