What support is available for planning and taking a train journey?
If you’re concerned about making a journey for the first time, it might be useful for you to take part in a ‘Try a Train Day’ event or find out if there is a travel mentoring scheme in your area. ‘Try a Train Day’ events are run by train operators and usually involve being escorted on a journey so that you can familiarise yourself with the stations, trains and locations of facilities. C2C and South West Trains are just some train operators who have already run these events. To find out about ‘Try a Train Day’ events in your area, contact your local train operator through National Rail Enquiries.
You should also talk to your train operator or the staff at your local station about the availability of timetable information that is suitable for you. Some train stations also have maps in braille and audio to assist you. Most trains have on board visual and audio notifications of the next station stop. If these aren’t available or you're unable to use them, then you should talk to station staff about the number of stops you need to travel so you can calculate when to get off the train.
Most train platforms will have visual and tactile markings indicating where it is safe to stand, such as a yellow line or bumps in the paving that tell you the safe areas of the platform.
Planning
National Rail Enquiries can provide you with information about your train journey. You can either call them or find the information you need on their website:
- 0345 748 4950 (Option 1 for the automated service, or Option 2 to speak with an advisor)
- www.nationalrail.co.uk
Please also see Are there any accessible apps to help me plan my journey on public transport?
Travel assistance
Booking assistance for your journey can make travelling safer. You can book free assistance for boarding, alighting and changing trains through your train operator, but this usually needs to be done at least 24 hours in advance of your journey. To find your train operator, contact National Rail enquiries on 0345 748 4950 or visit the National Rail website. If you haven’t been able to book your assistance in advance, you can still ask for assistance at ticket offices or turnstiles.
National Rail also has a Passenger Assistance app. Please see, What is the Passenger Assistance app?
If you need assistance when travelling in Northern Ireland, call the Translink Contact Centre on 0289 066 6630 at least 24 hours before you travel.
