help for disabled railway users.

[Hurricane Puffrose]

Another little list I promised, though for the life of me I can't remember who I promised I would do it... but I DIIIIIIIID IT!!

On this thread I am dealing with disabled people's travel and travel discounts. There are other rail cards available, and I will cover them if you want me to, just give me a shout.

A train operating company (TOC) must have a disabled charter, clear conditions of carraige (normally printed on the back of your ticket) and the ability to route a journey for disabled customers so that they travel with ease.

Assistance dogs are always accommodated, and free of charge.

Before I start with the boring bit.. have you got a railcard?
If not.. why not? You could be saving yourself a fortune!!

http://www.disabledpersons-railcard....buy-a-railcard

The Disabled Person's railcard is a blessing! It costs £20 for a year or £54 for a three year card (bit of a no brainer really) and you don't have to be in wheelchair to get one!

Am I Eligible?

You qualify for a Disabled Persons Railcard if:

Are registered as having a visual impairment	Social Services official stamp in the space allocated on the application form
A copy of your Certificate of Visual Impairment (CVI)
A copy of your BD8 certificate for being registered blind or partially-sighted
Are registered as deaf or use a hearing aid	Social Services official stamp in the space allocated on the application form
A copy of the front page of your NHS battery book or a copy of your dispensing prescription from a private hearing aid supplier
Have epilepsy and either: have repeated attacks even though you receive drug treatment; or are currently prohibited from driving because of your epilepsy	A copy of your Exemption Certificate for epilepsy medication and a photocopy of your prescription for drugs in line with the National Society for Epilepsy Society guidelines
A copy of your Exemption Certification for epliepsy medication and a photocopy of your letter from the DVLA telling you that you are unable to drive
Receive Attendance Allowance	A copy of your award letter
Receive Disability Living Allowance at either: the higher rate or lower rate for getting around (mobility); or the higher or middle rate for help with personal care	A copy of your award letter
Receive Severe Disablement Allowance	A copy of your award letter
Receive War Pensioner's Mobility Supplement	A copy of your award letter
Receive War or Service Disablement Pension for 80% or more disability	A copy of your award letter
Are buying or leasing a vehicle through the Motability scheme	A copy of the leasing or hire-purchase agreement

Even without this railcard, were you aware that if you, or someone you know is visually impaired/blind you can recieve up to 50% off your travel? you must have an escort (no.. not one with 4 wheels and goes BRRRRUM thats technically illegal, I mean someone to accompany you) and you will not get the discount if you travel alone. Your companion will receive the same discount. You can also get a season ticket which will basically give you 2 for one. So you and a companion can travel together and your companion goes free. Of course you need to be together for this to apply

If you are, and I hate this term, confined to your own wheelchair did you know that you are automatically eligible for 50% off your travel? You can also have a companion at this rate, but you can travel alone and still receive this discount.

Also, before we go any further, arranging disabled assistance takes time.
Please allow your TOC at least 24 hour notice prior to travel, if you are doing an emergency run, then let staff know you will be requiring help, and they will have someone waiting for you. They WILL get you help but it might not be the all bells and whistles service you would get if they had prior warning.

Ok here we go hold on tight folks, its gonna be a bumpy ride.

If i have not covered your local railway and you need the information, please don't hesistate to PM me and I will find this out.

National Rail Enquiries (or Murphy's Muppets as we were once called)

Telephone: 08457484950
Deals with: train times and fares
Textphone service:

0845 60 50 600

Welsh Language service:

0845 60 40 500

C2C
Journeys: Fenchurch Street to Southend Central via Grays and Basildon
Telehphone Customer Services: Tel: 0845 601 4873 (option 3)Open Monday to Friday 08.00 - 18.00
Telephone Disabled Assistance: 01702 357 640
Open 05.00 - 21.00 Monday to Friday; Saturday 08.00 - 16.00; Sunday 08.00 - 16.00Textphone: Number requested by email.

Chiltern
Journeys: Marylebone to Birmingham via Banbury
Telephone Customer Services: 08456 005 165
Telephone Disabled Assistance: 08456 005 165 (selecting option 3 then option 3 again)
Textphone: 08457 078 051

Greater Anglia
Journeys: Liverpool Street to Norwich and Southend Victoria.
Telephone Customer Services:0845 600 7245 (option 8)
Telephone Disabled Assitance: 0800 028 2878Open Monday to Sunday 08.00 - 20.00
Textphone: 0845 606 7245

East Coast
Journeys: Kings Cross to Edinburgh and all points in between. Boat train Stranraer-Belfast.
Telephone Customer Services: 08457 225 333
Telephone Disabled Assistance:08457 225 225
Textphone: 18001 08457 225 225

First Great Western
Journeys:Paddington to Penzance and South Wales Boat train Swansea-Cork and Fishgaurd-Rosslare.
Telephone Customer Services: 08457 000 125 (7am – 10pm every day)
Disabled Assistance: http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/A...ssisted-Travel
Textphone:18001 0800 197 1329
Welsh Speaking Service: 0845 604 0500

Scotrail
Journeys: Scotland
Telephone Customer Services:0845 601 5929
Telephone Disabled Assistance: 0800 912 2 901
Textphone 18001 0800 912 2 901

At the moment with Virgin losing the franchise for the west coast, I am a bit worried about putting their details, so if we use this as a "for now" contact, once I find out more, I will post up.

Virgin Rail
Journeys: Euston to Manchester, Liverpool and North Wales, Boat train for Holyhead-Dun Laorighie Eire.
Telephone Customer Services:
Telephone Disabled Assistance: 08457 443 366
Textphone 08457 443 367



East Midlands Trains
Journeys: St Pancras- Sheffield.
Telephone Customer Services:08457 125 678
Telephone Disabled Assistance: 08457 125 678, 0600 - 2200 daily.
Textphone 18001 followed by 08457 125 678.



Transpennine Express
Telephone Customer Services:0845 600 1671
Telephone Disabled Assistance: 0800 107 2149.
Textphone0800 107 2061





Hope this was useful to you, I will now go and allow my brain (or whats left of it) to implode

Safe Journeys Folks

[ploddertom]

Re: help for disabled railway users.

Hi Puff

Thanks for putting that up. However the reality is somewhat different, my OH uses a wheelchair and has a Disabled Railcard and lately has travelled widely both alone and with my good self. I have to say East Coast are an absolute dream to deal with and are there at each stage of the journey where required. TransPennine are completely different particularly coming back from Manchester where complete indifference is shown. Having made a complaint to TPE they in turn are blaming Network Rail. Fortunately with good friends in Manchester this has now been overcome but I do wonder about those who don't have that help. Maybe they should be forced to publish figures about this.

On a different note I can also say that EasyJet have been a pleasure to deal with.

[Hurricane Puffrose]

Re: help for disabled railway users.

My dealings with Trans Pennine aren't exactly the best in the world either.

If I may explain the way Assisted Travel is planned.

You ring them and say myself and my partner are travelling from A-B on 31/2/whenever and my partner is, in your case, in a wheelchair. We will require a ramp and someone to open doors, use of the lifts ect.
The assisted travel person is then meant to look up your destination and check, A it is a manned station, B there are ramps available and C that said station is accessible by wheelchair.
What sometimes happens is they see wheelchair ramps and say Yes that's fine we will see you then, and all hell breaks loose when the staff get the fax they have a wheelchair user coming, and no way to get them off the station.
This has happened to me when I worked at Limehouse station, 3 wheelchair ramps, elevated platform, no lift and no planning permission to get one!
Also if you plan your journey in advance, the Assitance line are meant to give each TOC at least 12 hours notice, but in reality it can be "Hello this is Liverpool Central, we have put a passenger on the 11am, they will be with you for 3 and need as much help as you can get them, will be arriving by cab, make sure someone's there!"

East Coast are red hot with admin and things like that, and I have never worked for them, they were an absolute pleasure to deal with, we got full details, full requirements and times (give or take 5 mins is a popular East Coast phrase) and at one point, once a month we got a box of biscuits from them!! Ahh the way to a Dispatcher's heart, black coffee and a kit kat!

If Trans Pennine are being particularly... shall we say difficult? I would suggest that you have a look at this link.
http://tpexpress.co.uk/about-ftpe/ov...sisted-travel/
this is their disabled person's assistance policy.

May I also ask are you booking the assistance with them directly or via a different TOC?

[ploddertom]

Re: help for disabled railway users.

Usually book everything through East Coast as they are our "local" company and fill the Assistance request in at the same time. They send what appears to be a mini-questionnaire about your journey. Last Sunday we went to Harrogate, East Coast to York, TPE to Leeds & Northern to Harrogate - we had 5 pages of assisted travel which detailed each part of the journey and at each point they contacted the next station on the way - worked perfectly. Coming back we decided to take a different train to York as we had open tickets but even so they were very willing to help.

The problem at Manchester is sometimes the platform the train leaves from is so close to a wall that there is insufficient room for a ramp - all TPE trains so far only allow the use of a ramp at one door.

[Hurricane Puffrose]

Re: help for disabled railway users.

Unfortunatly if it is a case of the layout of the station then there is not a great deal can be done regarding this, if on the other hand it is due to On Train staff being jobsworths and saying We are only allowed to let you on at one door, this is in breach of your partner's right. If you point this out and get told that under the Conditions of Carriage the staff are allowed to refuse to carry, then point out this is in case of violence, inebriation, or verbal abuse, and therefore as you have not shown a sign of any, you insist they assist you in a more timely and apropriate way

On train staff normally do not like passengers knowing the ins and outs of the C.O.C so be prepared for very closely scrutnised tickets and a snotty guard for a few miles.