Rail industry promises to improve toilet accessibility for disabled passengers
Posted: 1 February 2017 | | No comments yet
The UK rail industry has committed to improving accessibility of toilets on trains and at stations for disabled passengers following talks with Rail Minister Paul Maynard.
The UK rail industry has committed to improving accessibility of toilets on trains and at stations for disabled passengers following talks with Rail Minister Paul Maynard.
Rail Minister Paul Maynard met with senior rail industry representatives to discuss access to toilets for disabled passengers on trains and at stations after Paralympian Anne Wafula-Strike highlighted the issue earlier this month. The athlete travelled three hours on CrossCountry train without access to a disabled toilet when the one that was provided was out of order.
Clearer information on the availability of accessible toilets to be given in advance of journeys
The Department of Transport (DfT) has confirmed that clearer information about the availability of accessible toilets in advance of journeys will be made available. Furthermore it has pledged to work with train companies to see how staff training can be improved. Where facilities are out of order, it has challenged the industry to make sure disabled passengers are informed before the train departs. There is also a commitment to ensure accessible toilets are more reliable and are made a priority by maintenance teams when problems arise, ensuring fewer toilets are out of service in the first instance.
“It is vital that all people, including disabled passengers, are able use public transport”
Commenting on the accessibility commitment, Rail Minister Paul Maynard said: “I take the issue of accessibility on our railways extremely seriously and these commitments from industry are just one step forward to improve things.
“It is vital that all people, including disabled passengers, are able use public transport and I will continue to push train companies on this matter.”
Paul Plummer, chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents train operators and Network Rail, added: “The rail industry wants to modernise what is often Victorian infrastructure to make it more accessible and to provide far better information to enable people with disabilities to travel with confidence.
“When things go wrong, rail companies want to put them right, and we are keen to hear directly from people with disabilities to understand their experiences which is why the industry is already engaging more with disability groups to understand how we can improve.”
It has been a requirement since 1999 that all new trains with toilets are built with accessible toilets as standard – all trains built before then must comply by 2020.
The DfT has confirmed that it will publish its Accessibility Action Plan later this year, which will address accessibility across all modes of public transport.