£18k compensation for blind man who fell on tracks

A blind student narrowly avoided being hit by a train after he fell onto the tracks because no station staff were there to meet him at the end of his journey.

Abdul Eneser, 23, was supposed to be met by a pre-booked assistance service when he got off his train at Manchester Piccadilly station in May 2022.

But as it was after midnight, there was no-one to meet him and he fell onto the tracks while trying to find the stairs.

Network Rail denied liability but has paid £18,000 in compensation to Eneser, who said "poor accessibility in rail travel is not just a one-off issue".

Eneser, who was a masters law student at the University of Strathclyde at the time, had booked Passenger Assist in advance but arrived by train at the station on a later service than planned after missing a connection because of delays.

Avanti West Coast staff at Preston told him they would radio through to Manchester Piccadilly to tell them he was on the train, but when he arrived after midnight there was no-one there to meet him. He was later told all Passenger Assist staff had gone home.

After falling onto the tracks, he managed to pull himself back onto the platform one minute before a non-stop freight train passed through on the same tracks, solicitors representing him said.

Law firm Leigh Day said there had been no tactile flooring at the platform, such as raised-studs, to inform visually impaired and blind people of approaching hazards such as the platform edge.

Eneser injured his knees, hands and neck and suffers from ongoing anxiety after the incident.

He said his case was about more than just compensation.

"I'm not always sure that I'll be met with the right level of support to complete my journeys," he said.

"At the best of times, it makes travel stressful, and in the worst-case scenario it can be really dangerous."

Eneser's experience followed the death in 2020 of blind charity worker Cleveland Gervais, 53, who fell from a platform and was struck by a train at Eden Park station in Beckenham, south-east London.

There had been no tactile paving at that station.

A Network Rail spokesperson said: "We are extremely sorry for the experience Abdul Eneser suffered at Manchester Piccadilly.

"We let him down and have offered him our full and unreserved apology.

"We recognise that there is much to do to make the railway more accessible for all and are working closely with industry partners to deliver these improvements across the rail network as quickly as we can."

In July last year, the Department for Transport said the roll out of tactile paving across all railway stations in Britain had been completed.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.