Disability rights campaigners welcome new facility that ‘gives them confidence’ to travel on Northern services
Two disability-rights campaigners have welcomed the introduction of a new facility which improves accessibility for passengers.
Jimmy Simpson and Lauryn Bell both use Sunderland Station's passenger assist meeting point – a designated place where customers can wait and request assistance from staff to board a train.
The pair, who run the Adventures of Jimmy and Lauryn Facebook page, said it will give more disabled people the confidence to travel by train.
It comes as Northern is planning to set up passenger assist points at dozens of other stations across its network.
“We think the assist point is a brilliant addition to Sunderland station and it will be amazing to see it rolled out at more stations,” said Jimmy.
“The assist point will enable so many more people to access trains independently.
“A lot of disabled people worry about the ‘what ifs’ when travelling by train, so this will give them the confidence to know they can meet someone at the station and get that support.”
At Sunderland Station, which is operated by Northern and used by more than 430,000 people a year, the assist point was installed in April.
Northern’s Accessibility User Group (NAUG) is currently working with the operator to develop and deliver more assist points for the benefit of passengers.
Jason Wade, regional director for Northern in the North East, said: “We’re delighted to see this new assist point in Sunderland is making it easier for passengers to travel on our services.
“We’re constantly reviewing feedback from our customers and working to improve accessibility, to ensure that people of all ages and abilities can get where they need to go.”
Northern's Passenger Assistance Team is on hand to help people discuss and plan their journeys 24 hours a day, seven days a week (excluding Christmas Day).
Where possible, the operator recommends that people book assistance two hours in advance by calling 0800 138 5560 (Text Relay 18001 0800 138 5560).
Portable ramps are available at staffed stations across Northern’s network and on board all trains to facilitate boarding.
Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK, with 2,500 services a day to more than 500 stations across the North of England.