No Gold Medal for Crawling Off Trains
The Urgent Need for a Cultural Shift in Railway Accessibility
You can listen to the main article in this newsletter (read by me).
Hello everyone,
Rail accessibility made the headlines after Tanni Grey-Thompson, one of Britain's greatest Paralympic athletes and a member of the House of Lords, had to crawl off a train at King's Cross station due to a failed assist.
Unfortunately, this incident is not an isolated case. The frequency of these occurrences has led many within the industry to become desensitised, viewing them as an inevitable part of rail travel rather than a solvable problem.
This is solvable, but it needs a proper focus to achieve that. Responding to Tanni Grey-Thompson's experience, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Channel 4:
"Disgraceful, unacceptable. I'm glad she spoke out because I know that for that one example, there are many, many other examples where people with disabilities have not been able to access transport or other facilities, frankly. We've got to stop that."
The Prime Minister's words carry significant weight, potentially marking a turning point in the drive for accessibility. He added, "You shouldn't be able to carry people from place to place if you haven't got the facilities to ensure everybody can get safely on and off the train or plane or whatever it may be". This is a powerful statement but actions must follow.
Prioritising accessibility
First, the Department for Transport's role in prioritising accessibility is vital. While the industry often complains about the DfT micro-management of Train Operating Companies, I don't see that happening in accessibility. There's a pressing need for the DfT to set higher expectations for Train Operating Companies regarding accessibility and the treatment of disabled passengers. This includes investing in trains that provide level boarding, which could significantly reduce failed assists and enable many people to travel independently. Every new rolling stock that doesn't meet the level boarding standards will prevent accessibility for another 30 years.
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) must also take a stricter approach. It's unacceptable that untrained station staff still can't deploy ramps. This is a mandatory requirement for all customer-facing staff since 2021. Additionally, the rule allowing terminus stations up to 5 minutes to assist disabled passengers off trains is not helping. It creates a culture where disabled people's time is not appreciated, and "we have 5 minutes, don't rush" becomes the norm. In these 5 minutes, everyone else leaves the train, making it impossible for disabled people to get help if anything goes wrong. Even pressing the alarm is pointless because the driver might have gone too.
Monitoring failed assists
Failed assists need monitoring. Let people report them to a centralised database, regardless of whether they have booked or not. Currently, there is no visibility of how big the problem is.
Most railway staff are friendly and willing to help, but some still think disabled passengers are a nuisance. Area and on-board staff managers play a crucial role in addressing this. Disabled people have a right to travel; that's the message. And if people don't support this right, let them go. It gives a bad example if colleagues see this behaviour is tolerated.
Last but not least, the senior management teams: If staff never hears from their senior management that accessibility is important, it isn't. I read many interviews with directors of railway companies. Hardly anyone mentions accessibility. The topic is often put on the shoulders of accessibility managers but not included in the overall strategy.
The message that accessibility is a fundamental priority needs to come from the top. When staff understand its importance, they're more likely to respond promptly to assistance requests and work focused on preventing failed assists. While mistakes can happen, a louder, more consistent message about the importance of accessibility is crucial to tackling these issues effectively.
Some interesting links
This Times article is one of the best articles about Tanni’s crawling off the train incident. It looks at the greater context and the changes needed to progress accessibility.
The number of complaints made to Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) regarding disability access has stayed almost at a constant level for the past three years.
Google Maps just got a huge accessibility upgrade — what you need to know. Spoiler: London is not included in the lift status updates. Meh.
A mobility scooter user is calling on the States of Guernsey to speed up accessibility improvements around St Peter Port.
Something to read
Bus Users UK, a charity campaigning for bus passengers’ rights, has published a new study:
Why are we waiting? Disabled people’s experiences of travelling by bus
The report captures the lived experiences of disabled bus passengers across England, Scotland, and Wales through first-hand, personal accounts.
The findings highlight a stark reality: while buses are essential for enabling people to lead full and independent lives, currently, they are not accessible to everyone.
Some final words
The Accessible Link is a reader-supported publication. So, if you like what you’re reading, consider to
As a paid subscriber you will receive an additional edition every two weeks with best-practice tips on improving accessibility in your organisation.
Who is writing this newsletter?
I’m Christiane Link, and I improve the customer experience in aviation, transport, and travel. I worked as a journalist for over two decades and travelled extensively for business and leisure. I’m a wheelchair user.
Work with me
Whether you're a Customer service director, a Head of Customer Experience, a corporate Accessibility manager, a DEI leader, a transport planner, or a disabled employee resource group member, I can help you to make your organisation more inclusive. You can book me for speaking engagements or hire me as a consultant for your accessibility or DEI strategy, communications advice and other related matters. I have worked for airlines, airports, train operators, public transport providers, and companies in other sectors.
If you want to read more from me, follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, Bluesky or Mastodon. You can also reply to this email if you want to contact me.
.