19 June 2014
New wheelchair user guidance launched
The rail industry, accessibility experts and disability campaigners joined forces to launch
new good practice guidance this week in Westminster, to encourage better customer
experience for rail passengers using wheelchairs, based on improved awareness and
understanding throughout the rail industry.
A new booklet, ‘Working Together’, published by RSSB, is aimed at staff at stations and
on trains, their managers, and wheelchair users themselves, and is being used as a
basis for briefing and refresher training of customer-facing rail staff as well as being
made available on the web to rail passengers using wheelchairs.
Research by RSSB, supported by the whole industry, backed up concerns from groups
representing disabled people about ramps in particular, including their compatibility and
the way staff used them.
The findings have led to better, more consistent guidance and training for staff which
should make boarding and alighting trains safer and easier for both wheelchair users and
the railway workforce. The work has involved substantial input and dialogue with the
organisations who train and employ customer-facing staff, such as Network Rail and the
train operating companies, as well as wheelchair users who travel by train.
The guidance was formally launched at Church House, Westminster on 17 June with
RSSB, Network Rail, the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC), individual
train operators, Department for Transport and a range of organisations and interested
parties, including those representing disabled people such as the Disabled Persons
Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC), Disability Rights UK and Whizz-Kidz.
Ann Bates, formerly of DPTAC and a key advisor on the project said: ‘There has been a
lot of progress in travel for wheelchair users with new rolling stock and I’m pleased to see
RSSB Block 2 Angel Square 1 Torrens Street London EC1V 1NY
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the research, that DPTAC rail group had a hand in commissioning, as an opportunity for
both staff and passengers to join in partnership to ensure that the boarding ramps are
used safely. I hope this partnership will continue looking at other issues that still form
barriers to full accessibility to the railways.’
Margaret Hickish, Access & Inclusion Manager at Network Rail said:
‘Network Rail runs 19 of the biggest and busiest stations and so it’s really important that
our staff are well trained to help the millions of people travelling by rail complete their
journeys as easily as possible. We’re pleased to have worked with both industry and
charity partners on the research, as this is not just about improving rail travel but also
about removing the myths around disability generally.’
David Sindall, Head of Disability & Inclusion at ATOC said:
‘More and more disabled people are now choosing to take the train while the support
they’re offered is improving. The new guidance builds on the advances we’ve already
made to the Passenger Assistance booking system and will help the industry to deliver a
better experiences for wheelchair users.’
-EndsFor media enquiries, please contact RSSB’s press office, on 020 3142 5331/2/3 or 5653
or email pressoffice@rssb.co.uk or visit the website at www.rssb.co.uk
Notes to editors:
1) About the new guidance
The Disabled Persons' Transport Advisory Committee (Rail) asked RSSB to manage research into
the best ways of improving issues around wheelchair users travelling by train and this went forward
as a body of work supported by the whole industry, including ATOC, DfT and Network Rail.
Part of this has culminated in new guidance called ‘Working Together’ which is aimed at customerfacing rail staff, their managers, and wheelchair users themselves.
The full guidance which is aimed at rail staff, their managers and wheelchair users is available to
download from the RSSB website.
RSSB Block 2 Angel Square 1 Torrens Street London EC1V 1NY
Telephone: +44 (0)20 3142 5300 Facsimilie: +44 (0)20 3142 5301 www.rssb.co.uk
Rail Safety and Standards Board Limited Registered Office: Block 2 Angel Square 1 Torrens Street London EC1V 1NY Registered in England No. 04655675
The specific part of the guidance aimed at wheelchair users is also available as a standalone
document to download from the Disability Onboard website managed by ATOC.
The research which underpins the guidance can also be downloaded from the RSSB website.
2) About RSSB
We help the industry understand risk, guide standards, manage research, development and
innovation and collaborate to improve.
The rail industry in Britain is made up of many different organisations, but they all form a system
and share a common purpose, to move people and freight safely and efficiently by rail. RSSB bring
all parts of this system together to support shared decisions, products and services, to help
industry drive out unnecessary cost, improve business performance and develop long-term
strategy.
Our activities involve:
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Understanding risk – Using safety intelligence from across the rail industry and elsewhere
with the latest risk modelling to inform members and support safe decision making.
Guiding standards – Creating, reviewing and simplifying GB standards to align with
European requirements; managing the Rule Book and making it easier for the railway to
deliver efficiently and safely.
Managing research, development and innovation – Undertaking, commissioning and
managing research and innovation programmes to address current needs, provide
knowledge for decision making now and for the future, and promoting step changes to
deliver the Rail Technical Strategy.
Collaborating to improve – As an independent cross-industry body with a critical mass of
technical expertise, supporting activities which require collaboration. These range from
supplier assurance schemes (RISQS, RISAS) to confidential reporting (CIRAS), from
health and wellbeing strategies to sustainability principles.
We are run by the industry, for the industry, with member companies from across the mainline
system. The demand for our services comes from the industry itself, and from the involvement of
cross-industry groups. For more information go to www.rssb.co.uk
RSSB Block 2 Angel Square 1 Torrens Street London EC1V 1NY
Telephone: +44 (0)20 3142 5300 Facsimilie: +44 (0)20 3142 5301 www.rssb.co.uk
Rail Safety and Standards Board Limited Registered Office: Block 2 Angel Square 1 Torrens Street London EC1V 1NY Registered in England No. 04655675