New help for disabled rail travellers on West Coast Main Line

Railway bosses have unveiled a number of new initiatives to make travelling easier for the disabled.

London Midland has launched its Disabled People’s Protection Policy (DPPP) after working with with passengers and other stakeholders.

The scheme is designed 
to make journey-planning 
easier for everyone, and 
features a downloadable map showing which stations now have step-free access.

Other information includes details about how passengers 
can access support from 
London Midland so that staff can make arrangements 
for ticket holders facing 
accessibility challenges to be taken to another station, at the company’s expense.

And the firm has also 
developed a Travel Support Card, which can be used by anyone who finds travelling difficult.

The card is designed to 
be personalised to the 
individual and can include a personal emergency contact as well as specific details of how London Midland staff can 
assist.

This can be particularly useful if a passenger needs assistance but finds it difficult to communicate their requirements, as they can simply show the card to a member of staff.

Francis Thomas, London Midland’s head of corporate affairs, said: “We are doing our very best to work in partnership with our customers to make innovative changes across our network to improve accessibility for all.

“We will continue to reach out to our passengers to help us design a service that meets their needs, both now and into the future.”

Full details of London 
Midland’s Disabled People’s Protection Policy can be found at the company’s 
website www.londonmidland.com/your-journey/more/
accessibility/