Scottish Government must get rail services on the right track for disabled passengers

Capability Scotland is asking the Scottish Government to make the needs of disabled passengers top priority when it appoints a new rail service provider in 2014.

In its response to the Scottish Government's Rail 2014 Consultation which closes this week, Capability has documented how disabled people continue to be put in difficult and potentially dangerous situations because the current service does not meet their accessibility needs.

The disability organisation tells of how a disabled passenger was forced to urinate between two carriages because one of the disabled toilets was out of order and he couldn't reach the other one because the train was overcrowded.  Another passenger reported being unable to alight at his desired stop because there was no staff available to help him get off even though he had been told that there would be someone there to assist him.

One Capability volunteer, who uses a wheelchair, found himself in a treacherous situation when his train was terminated due to bad weather.  Staff helped him off the train onto the platform.  However, he couldn't access the main part of the station without leaving the station grounds and coming back in via another entrance.  Because he was leaving the station, staff refused to assist him for health and safety reasons - leaving him to negotiate the steep, uneven, icy ground on his own.

Disabled passengers have also flagged up problems they have experienced when using the Passenger Assistance Service.  This service is supposed to enable passengers to phone ahead and alert rail staff to their requirements. However, it appears that the quality of the service varies greatly across the country ranging from 'excellent' in some areas to apparently 'non existent' in others.

One passenger said: "There seems to be no way to book support in advance. I'm just going round in circles and can't get information. The website told me to phone a number to book assistance.  When I phoned they told me to book online.  In the end I just didn't bother going."

Even the attitudes of some staff can be off-putting to disabled rail travellers.  One disabled man told how he put in a complaint after staff were rude to him because he had not booked Passenger Assistance in advance of his journey - even though he had made the journey many times previously without being required to book.

Capability's Director of External Affairs, Richard Hamer, commented:

"Both the Government and the rail provider have legal duties under the Equality Act 2010 to ensure that disabled passengers are not discriminated against.  Despite this Capability continues to hear these horrific and shocking stories which demonstrate that the current rail provider is getting it badly wrong when it comes to disabled passengers.

"Problems with overcrowding, physical barriers, the inconsistency of the Passenger Assistance Service and even the attitude of staff all need to be eliminated to ensure our rail network is fit for purpose in the 21^st Century.  The Scottish Government now has the chance to address all these issues and ensure that it appoints a rail provider who can deliver a fully accessible rail service for disabled people. It must not miss the opportunity."