Accessible transport campaigners have called on the government to sign up to 10 “basic equality standards” that would improve the accessibility of the rail network for millions of disabled passengers.
They say their 10-point plan will restore accessibility to the heart of the government’s planned rail reforms.
In a letter (PDF) to transport secretary Heidi Alexander, they accuse the government of scrapping commitments on accessibility made by the last Conservative government.
Among the campaigning organisations that have signed the letter are The Association of British Commuters, which drafted it; Disability Rights UK, Disabled People Against Cuts, Inclusion London and Transport for All, as well as allies such as Bring Back British Rail, National Pensioners Convention, and the TSSA transport union.
They particularly highlight their concern that the Labour government removed statutory accessibility and socioeconomic duties from its plans for rail reform.
They tell Alexander in the letter: “The removal of these duties undoes years of campaigning by disabled people and ignores evidence of systemic discrimination across the network.”
They say their demands should now be considered the “minimum expectation for rail reform”, while they would also ensure the “maximum value for public money”.
Among their demands are for the government to restore an accessibility duty to its new railways bill; a new national investment fund to pay for accessibility improvements, with deadlines for step-free access and level boarding; a legal right to “turn up and go” travel at every location; and a single national accessible travel policy.
The letter also calls for a new complaints body for disabled passengers; for the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee to be made a statutory adviser to the new Great British Railways, as the previous government had planned; and for the government to improve its consultation with disabled people.
And it calls for new powers for the Office of Rail and Road regulator on enforcing equality standards; “full staffing” of the rail network; and a new, more generous, complaints and compensation system for transport discrimination.
Emily Sullivan, ABC’s co-founder, said: “This letter is an urgent intervention to demand a full legal framework for accessibility and warn the government that we will strongly oppose any attempt to pass a railways bill without these basic equality standards.
“Disabled people have the backing of passenger groups, rail workers and allies across the transport sector.”
Among those who have signed the letter are Sarah Leadbetter and Doug Paulley, the two claimants in a high-profile legal case taken in 2023 against a consultation on plans to close hundreds of ticket offices.
Leadbetter, said: “I am shocked and disgusted that we have been ignored, after years of campaigning to achieve these commitments.
“It is totally wrong to exclude disabled people and the current plan will only make standards slip further.
“We have the right to travel by train and without this many blind and visually-impaired people would be isolated and excluded.”
Paulley said: “Stripping accessibility duties from Great British Railways legislation represents a fundamental retreat from legal obligations to disabled passengers.
“This accessibility framework provides the solution to ensure Britain’s rail network serves everyone – not just non-disabled people.
“Without these protections embedded in primary legislation, we will perpetuate the two-tier transport system that systematically excludes disabled people.”
Tony Jennings, co-founder of the Campaign for Level Boarding, added: “The government needs a plan, systemic change and accountability to remove barriers to deliver equal access.
“Inclusive design must be at the heart of the decision-making process with a timescale to achieve joined-up accessibility improvements, in co-production with disabled people.”
A DfT spokesperson said in a statement: “Accessibility is a core priority for Great British Railways (GBR) and we are committed to delivering a rail system which allows disabled people to travel easily, confidently and with dignity.
“Working alongside disability groups, we are considering all options to ensure accessibility is at the heart of GBR, such as the creation of a powerful new passenger watchdog to ensure services work for disabled passengers.
“Later this year we will publish a roadmap setting out our approach to delivering a more accessible railway in the lead up to GBR.”
Picture by Office of Rail and Road
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