Accessible Travel Policy August 2020
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Accessible Travel Policy August 2020 1 | Our Commitment to Providing Assistance Our Commitment to Providing Assistance | 1 Contents 4 Introduction Our Commitment to Providing Assistance 7 A1. Booking and Providing Assistance 16 A2. Information Provision 20 A3. Ticketing and Fares 23 A4. Alternative Accessible Transport 24 A5. Mobility Scooters and Mobility Aids 26 A6. Delays, Disruption and Emergencies 29 A7. Station Facilities 31 A8. Redress Strategy and Management 39 B1. Strategy 40 B2. Management and Arrangements 41 B3. Monitoring and Evaluation 42 B4. Access Improvements 44 B5. Working With Disabled Passengers, Local Communities and Local Authorities 45 B6. Staff Training 47 Contact Us 2 | Our Commitment to Providing Assistance Our Commitment to Providing Assistance | 3 Introduction TransPennine Express is the intercity train We also offer our Accessible Travel Policy in alternative formats, operating company for the North of England and specifically: into Scotland, connecting key towns and cities • Braille • Large Print with fast, high quality rail services, and our vision • Audio • Easy Read is ‘Taking the North Further’. You can ask for an alternative To deliver this vision, we have invested • Our Accessible Travel Passenger format by contacting our Customer over £500 Million since 2016 to Leaflet: Making Rail Accessible: Relations or Assisted Travel Team. introduce three brand new fleets of Helping Older and Disabled We will respond to your request NOVA trains, increasing capacity on Passengers: a summary of practical within seven days. our network through 220 new coaches. information about travelling on We have also invested in our stations our services and the wider UK rail to provide the facilities our customers network We will review and update want and need, such as changing • Our stations accessibility our Accessible Travel Policy places, waiting facilities and new ticket information: a summary of the each year to make sure that offices, and continue to explore new arrangements and facilities at each it includes any improvements opportunities to add more features. of the stations which we manage we have made to our services. and those where our services call We are committed to delivering consistently excellent service, making • Our trains accessibility information: journeys easy and convenient for all which explains the accessible our customers. Our aim is to provide features on the trains we operate an accessible and welcoming railway Together these documents form this for all and we will ensure that your Accessible Travel Policy. needs as an older or disabled customer are properly considered in all aspects You can find all four elements online of service delivery. The end goal is at www.tpexpress.co.uk/travelling- enabling you to travel confidently and with-us/assistedtravel where they as independently as possible. are available for download both in standard and accessible formats. To help you in planning your journey, and to know what to expect, we You can also pick up a copy of our produce this Accessible Travel Policy. Making Rail Accessible: Helping This is made of up four elements: Older and Disabled Customers leaflet • Our Accessible Travel Policy: A from any staffed station where our guide to our policies and practices services call. which explains our strategy and vision for delivering accessible services (this document) 4 | Our Commitment to Providing Assistance Our Commitment to Providing Assistance | 5 A1. Booking and Providing A. Assistance Our Commitment Assistance can be provided wherever released, usually 12 weeks in advance, you need it across the national rail but for some services this can be as network using “Passenger Assist”, a much as 24 weeks. to Providing system used by all train operators to coordinate assisted travel. Because The amount of notice we ask you to it’s a national system you can use it give for requesting assistance varies to book assistance for your entire depending on the journey you are Assistance journey irrespective of the number of undertaking. We recommend that connections or train services you need you contact our Assisted Travel Team to take, with one call. You can even as soon as possible, and no later We are committed to providing a reliable and purchase tickets all at the same time. than 10pm the evening before your easy to access service that allows older and journey to ensure that we are able to You can book assistance on our make the necessary arrangements. disabled customers to arrange the assistance services and those of other train However, if your journey is they may require to help them access any part of operating companies by contacting direct between two stations that our Assisted Travel Team, who TransPennine Express manage, you our network with confidence, using the national are available 6am to 11pm daily, can call anytime up to two hours Passenger Assist system. excluding Christmas Day. before you plan to travel. This is our ‘Express Assistance’ service., We continue to work closely with Passenger Assist service, particularly We will ensure our Assisted Travel Please be aware seat and wheelchair rail industry partners to improve the in relation to journeys that involve Team is resourced to meet demand user space reservations will not be consistency and reliability of the more than one operator. by monitoring volumes of requests available with this reduced notice. and response times and adjusting our service provision accordingly. As By April 2021 we will reduce this detailed in section B6, Staff Training, notice period to 6 hours and then to our Assisted Travel Team receive only 2 hours’ notice by April 2022, training that ensures they understand meaning no matter where you are the needs of our disabled and older travelling, you can benefit from our customers. The team have an in- Express Assistance notice period. depth knowledge of the accessible We will achieve this by transitioning facilities and features of our network, to the new Passenger Assist system enabling them to provide the most being introduced by Rail Delivery appropriate advice. Group and developed by Transreport which will enable staff to view You can request assistance for assistance bookings via an App. your journey from when tickets are 6 || OurOur CommitmentCommitment toto ProvidingProviding AssistanceAssistance Our Commitment to Providing Assistance | 7 Passenger Assist Rail Enquiries and our website within Unbooked Assistance alternative accessible transport (at one business day. Where facilities no additional cost) for you to an Passenger Assist is the national We can also provide help when you that you may need on-board are out alternative station. If you need help system used by all UK train operators travel, even if it has not been booked of use (e.g. accessible toilets) staff getting off the train and have not to coordinate assisted travel. in advance. You can turn up at any booked assistance in advance, you will try to advise you of this before station that is accessible to you should advise on-board staff who will Because it is a national system, it you join the train. and request assistance onto a train means we can book assistance for arrange this for you. When you call to make a Passenger from a member of staff directly, by your entire journey irrespective Assist booking, our team will confirm using a help point, or by calling our of the number of connections or Accessing Unstaffed the station accessibility features and freephone number 0345 600 1671. train services your need to take, Stations the arrangements they have made for To help you understand which all in one request. Where possible, We always do our best to provide you, so that you are aware of what stations may be accessible to seat reservations will also be made, the assistance and help you need. If to expect when you travel. You will you without staff assistance, the including priority seats, wheelchair access to and from platforms at the receive a confirmation email with the accessible features of each of the user spaces and companion seats. station you plan to use is not possible, details of your assistance booking. stations where our services call You can also purchase tickets at the (e.g. if the station is not staffed at the In addition, station accessibility are detailed on our website same time as requesting Passenger time you wish to travel or because of information can also be provided to www.tpexpress.co.uk/travelling- Assist, all within one call. a physical feature) we can arrange you by post or email upon request. with-us/station-information. alternative transport to a convenient Passenger Assist draws station To improve the coordination of Our Assisted Travel Team will also accessible station at no additional information from National Rail Passenger Assist across the UK rail be able to provide these details and cost from where you can continue Enquiries, including station network, we are working with other advice about your journey. your journey by rail. When you book facilities and features as well as the train operating companies and Rail assistance, we will discuss with you latest information about access Every TransPennine Express service Delivery Group (RDG) to introduce the type of alternative transport you arrangements on stations and trains has on-board staff who will be able the new Passenger Assist system, require so that we can make sure that across the UK. Our Assisted Travel to assist you to get on and off the including the staff app, which will the vehicle provided meets your needs. Team will use this information when train at any station where there are enable real-time communication making your booking. no platform staff available. We have Connections To Other between station teams, showing the ramps on board all our trains and To deliver a reliable assistance live status of your assistance, along strategically placed at stations where Train Services service, we will ensure that the with any amendments.