'Platform slip shows issues for blind rail users'

A blind woman who slipped on an icy platform after stepping off a train has joined calls to increase accessibility on the public transport network.

Terri Ballon, from Leigh in Greater Manchester, said she nearly fell when no support staff were available to help her when her train arrived at London Euston earlier this month, despite her having booked passenger assistance.

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) campaign officer said other commuters had also reported "unreliable and inconsistent" passenger assistance services.

The Department for Transport has been asked to comment.

In a recent report, the RNIB said more than 60% of 1,200 respondents had revealed they had not been consistently met by staff at stations, despite booking passenger assistance in advance.

Terri, 64, said she the passenger assistance support on her recent journey to London during railworks over the new year had gone "extremely well" until the train's arrival.

"When I alighted at Euston, the member of staff wasn't there initially and because it was icy on the platform, as I stepped off of the train, my foot slipped and I almost fell.

"If I'd have fallen, I would have hit my head backwards on the step of the train."

She added that her personal experience of rail transport overall was "very mixed".

"There are some areas and places that are absolutely brilliant. Some of that is due perhaps to being a regular customer and known, and then there are some other situations which are really, really, very distressing."

She said there was no accessible toilet on the train to London earlier this month, meaning she "had to use the small cubicle ones with the door slightly open with my guide dog's lead".

Terri continued: "So my dog had to stand through the open doorway. Now that's OK for myself - it's not great - but for other disabled people, that's obviously a very serious issue indeed."

Nearly 80% of respondents to the RNIB survey also reported challenges finding their carriage and an appropriate seat.

Poor quality audio on rail announcements was also a problem for about 55% of respondents, while two thirds said they had experienced problems opening train doors.

Terri said the majority believed said they would benefit from "tactile wayfinding, which is a tactile-coloured path on the floor that would direct a person to important station facilities such as platforms".

However she described the government's recent announcement that they would not improve accessibility at 19 stations as a "concern for us as well as obviously many other disabled people".

She also said the "retention of a ticket office is vital, not only as a key point for passengers being able to locate where they can get assistance, but also in the purchase of the ticket".

Erik Matthies, RNIB's policy lead for travel and transport, said: "With the government's new Railways Bill, working towards the establishment of Great British Railways, now is a perfect opportunity to address these issues."

A spokeswoman for the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operating companies, said improving accessibility was "essential to making sure passengers can travel independently".

She added: "We know sometimes we don't get it right, but the whole rail industry is working hard to improve how we support passengers with accessibility needs."

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