Disabled Travellers Put Off Trains By Booking Confusion, Says Charity

Disabled travellers are deterred from taking the train by poorly trained staff, confusion over booking requirements and inaccessible stations, according to a charity, which says targets to provide accessible trains could be rendered meaningless.

Only one in five train stations in England is fully accessible, research by the Papworth Trust found, while two-thirds of disabled people say the need to book assistance rather than turn up and go means they use trains less than they otherwise would.

The charity found that one in five disabled passengers was not aware that additional help, through a service called Passenger Assist, was available, while one in six had been mistakenly told by rail staff that advance booking was essential for them to travel on a train.

Only 404 stations out of 1,967 in England are fully accessible, according to train operators’ own assessment of their provision of four basic requirements – step-free access…