Disabled people deserve a modern accessible railway

In response to the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail, our Director of Policy Gemma Hope said:

“With 41% of Britain’s stations still lacking step-free access we’d agree that the railways ‘are not getting the basics right’, as stated in today’s Williams-Shapps Plan.  

"The assertion that two thirds of disabled passengers ‘report at least one problem when travelling by train’ also echoes our research. While this white paper falls short of a legal guarantee to make rail accessible by 2030, we believe it’s a step forward.  

"We also hope the promise of dedicated funding for accessibility improvements means significant investment, because disabled people deserve the potential employment opportunities and simple freedoms associated with a modern accessible railway.”

Media enquiries

For further information, interview requests and case studies, please contact Jonathan Sim on jonathan.sim@leonardcheshire.org.