Disabled people can’t use 40% of stations

More than 1,000 railway stations in Britain lack disabled access, according to an analysis of Office of Rail and Road data by disability charity Leonard Cheshire. The RMT rail union says the charity’s findings reinforce the case for rail staff in stations.


Leonard Cheshire found that over 40% of the country’s 2,560 stations do not have full step-free access, and says this is “barring disabled people from travelling independently”. 


And it warns that many disabled people face difficulties planning journeys due to unclear information about station accessibility.


Passengers have also reported problems arranging ramps to get them between a platform and a train.


The charity said having accessible and easier train journeys can make the difference between getting out to work and seeing family and friends, and feeling isolated and excluded from community life. 


RMT general secretary Mick Cash described the figures as“shameful”. 


He said they“should serve as a wake-up call to the whole rail industry to get its house in order, starting with a total reversal of plans to remove guards from trains and to de-staff stations in the quest for profit”. 


He added: “The people paying the price for these cuts-led decisions are the most vulnerable in our society who are being denied the right to travel in total contravention of disability discrimination legislation.”

https://www.leonardcheshire.org/about-us/latest-news/press-releases/disabled-people-cannot-use-over-40-great-britains-train-stations