Passenger Assist is the booking service that train companies in Great Britain use to arrange help for passengers who need it, from a ramp at the station to a reserved wheelchair space. For scooter users it is the way to secure that help before travelling. This guide summarises what the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), the rail regulator, says operators must provide, and adds two operator examples. ORR regulates train and station operators in Great Britain; Northern Ireland’s rail network is outside its scope. This is general information, not a guarantee of any operator’s service.
What Passenger Assist is
ORR describes Passenger Assist as a service provided by train companies to passengers who require help with their train journey, which has to be booked in advance. Staff can help plan a journey, book tickets and make reservations, and can assist at stations and on trains, from changing platforms to finding a seat. It is free and available to anyone who needs assistance because of a disability, temporary impairment or old age, and no railcard is required. LNER describes it as a national system used by all train companies.
How much notice is needed
ORR says that since 1 April 2022 no more than 2 hours’ notice is required when booking through Passenger Assist. It records that the notice period used to be up to 24 hours, and that the regulator required operators to move to booking by 10pm the night before by April 2020, at least 6 hours before by April 2021 and at least 2 hours before by April 2022. When assistance is booked in advance, ORR says it should be provided at all stations during the hours in which trains are scheduled to serve the station. LNER’s page repeats the 2-hour figure, adds that it can be booked online or through its app when buying a ticket, and lists a 24-hour phone line and a daily live chat.
Turn Up and Go
Booking is not compulsory. ORR says passengers can turn up at any station they have identified as accessible to them and ask for help onto a train from a member of staff, at a help point or by a Freephone number. This is sometimes called Turn Up and Go and depends on conditions at the time, such as staff availability. For a scooter user, the ramp and wheelchair-space arrangements make booking the more dependable route.
Ramps, tickets and luggage
ORR says operators must provide ramps that are fit for purpose at all staffed stations, either at the station or on the train, whether or not assistance has been booked. At an unstaffed station, a member of staff with a ramp must be available where the assistance has been booked in advance. Where a disabled passenger cannot buy a ticket at a station beforehand, they must be able to buy one without being charged extra on the train or at their destination. Staff must also be available to help with luggage where this is arranged in advance.
Scooter carriage policies
The regulator requires each operator to set out its policy for carrying mobility scooters and other mobility aids, and to make the reasoning clear, particularly if some or all scooters are excluded. Any exclusion must result only from an evidence-based safety or physical restriction. That is why the size and weight limits differ between companies; the site’s guide to permits and size limits by train company compares them, and the main guide to taking a scooter on trains covers the basics. LNER, for example, says a scooter within its wheelchair-space dimensions can travel without a permit, while noting that some operators do require permits so passengers should check every operator on the journey.
When rail cannot complete the journey
ORR says operators must offer alternative accessible transport, without extra charge, where a station is inaccessible to the passenger or where rail replacement transport is not accessible, or where short-notice disruption makes services inaccessible. It adds that accessibility requirements for buses and taxis are set out in separate legislation not monitored by ORR. Caledonian Sleeper’s page shows how this can be limited for scooter users: it says accessible taxis are usually unable to carry scooters, so it cannot guarantee the arrangements, and it will explore options with the passenger. That point is covered in the site’s guide to the Caledonian Sleeper.
If booked assistance is not provided
ORR’s guidance aims to improve redress when booked assistance fails, including compensation. LNER says that when booked assistance has not been delivered it will provide compensation, offering a full refund for the cost of the journey on its trains, and that a complaint can be made by contacting it. Caledonian Sleeper says it aims to respond to complaints within 10 working days and that if assistance was booked across more than one operator, only one claim needs to be made.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a charge for Passenger Assist? No. ORR says it is free and no railcard is required.
Can I book at the last minute? ORR says no more than 2 hours’ notice is required.
Does ORR cover Northern Ireland? No. Its rules apply to train and station operators in Great Britain.
The bottom line
Passenger Assist is free, needs no more than 2 hours’ notice and covers ramps, seat reservations and help at stations, with alternative accessible transport required when rail cannot carry a passenger. Scooter users should book it, check the operator’s own scooter limits and keep a note of the booking in case a refund or complaint is needed.
Sources
- Office of Rail and Road, "Passengers with disabilities" (orr.gov.uk)
- Office of Rail and Road, "Improving assisted travel" (orr.gov.uk)
- LNER, "Travel assistance for disabled customers" (lner.co.uk)
- Caledonian Sleeper, "Accessible Travel" (sleeper.scot)