Access For All: Interview with TransPennine Express’ Chris Jeffery

What is TransPennine Express’ mission statement when it comes to accessibility?

We are passionate about accessibility. Ensuring that our customers feel confident travelling with us at all times is our priority. Our accessibility team are working hard to ensure that our services, stations and digital content are accessible and inclusive.

Do you think the rail industry is doing enough to ensure rail travel is accessible for all?

There is, of course, always room for improvement, but I think the railway is currently making really good progress ensuring that travel is accessible for all. I think the key is consistency; our customers regularly tell us this. The industry already collaborates on great things such as the Passenger Assist service, but this is an area we can all do better at. Good collaboration will mean that we can offer a consistently accessible service across Britain, making it easier for people to travel countrywide and benefitting from shared best practise.

What amenities does TransPennine Express offer to ensure people with disabilities have a comfortable journey?

For customers who would like some support with their journey, we offer our Passenger Assist service. We can support people with sighted guidance, help to carry their luggage, offer a ramp to board the train, and any other help them may need. This can be booked in advance, or customers can turn-up-and-go which is a great option for those who want to be spontaneous. All our staff have received comprehensive training to support customers with a variety of accessibility requirements, which is refreshed bi-annually.

On-board our trains, there are spacious wheelchair user spaces and priority seats available with extra leg room.

At our stations, we are continuously making accessibility improvements. For example, we are currently improving our station seating to make it warm to the touch and ensuring that a variety of seat heights are available to support customers with reduced mobility and those who may wish to transfer out of a wheelchair. We are also working on improvements to induction loops to support customers with hearing impairments, and several improvements to both standard and accessible toilet facilities.

TransPennine Express has launched live BSL interpretation in ticket offices.

How does TransPennine Express support individuals with disabilities to enhance their station navigation experience?

We recently launched two innovative navigation tools: GoodMaps and My Station View.

GoodMaps provides accurate navigation for customers that are blind or visually impaired. The free app allows customers to receive turn-by-turn navigation instructions directing customers to station platforms and points of interest. The app pinpoints a customer’s location using their phone’s camera and provides accurate directions to help navigate the station safely. This is now available at all 19 of our managed stations across the North, and we are working with colleagues across the industry to bring this technology to other stations where our trains call.

My Station View is a pre-departure tool that allows customers to take a virtual tour of the station they are visiting before they leave home. The website allows customers to explore the station, enabling customers with autism or anxiety to plan a route giving them more confidence to travel. The innovative technology that provides a 360-degree view of the station will also benefit customers with mobility requirements as they will be able view the route from the entrance of the station all the way to the required platform, viewing points of interest and facilities along the way ensuring that key areas are accessible to them. My Station View also allows passengers to explore the interior of TransPennine Express’ trains to help them locate priority seats and other on-board facilities. My Station View is also available at all 19 of our managed stations.

We recognise that digital innovations aren’t suitable for everyone, so we are also currently installing several RNIB Maps For All which provide a physical, tactile map of the station.

TransPennine Express has launched BSL departure boards.

How does TransPennine Express ensure its staff are trained to provide assistance to people with disabilities?

Along with our partners across the railway industry, we deliver enhanced disability and equality training to every new starter in our company. This includes both colleagues on the frontline, and those working ‘behind the scenes’ and in management and executive roles. The training was put together with the support of several customers with disabilities and organisations from the charity sector. The training covers The Equality Act 2010, an introduction to different types of disability (including hidden disabilities), what accessible features our trains and stations have, and how everyone can help. This training is refreshed every two years.

TransPennine Express’ ‘My Station View’ is a pre-departure tool that allows customers to take a virtual tour of stations they are visiting before they leave home.

How can people with disabilities provide feedback to TransPennine Express and how is this information taken forward to improve accessibility?

Feedback from people with disabilities is incredibly important as it helps us shape our future plans and ensures that we are delivering the important accessibility improvements that our customers rightfully expect from us. We would welcome feedback from anyone who, like us, wants to see further innovation and improvements to the accessibility of TransPennine Express.

We have a customers and professionals accessibility panel who are consulted on all our plans. This panel consists of several customers with a disability and several support groups and charity organisations. This panel also has the opportunity to present to our executive team about issues they’ve experienced, ensuring that accessibility is at the forefront of everything we do.

In 2022, we also launched a staff accessibility panel, giving staff who have a disability and staff passionate about accessibility the opportunity to support our accessibility engagement from various parts of the business.

TransPennine Express’ ‘My Station View’ allows passengers to explore the interior of trains to help them locate priority seats and other on-board facilities.

Is TransPennine Express currently trialling/developing any new accessibility initiatives?

Customers travelling on TransPennine Express services with their mobility scooter require a scooter card to do so. We will shortly be launching a brand new, automated process which will speed up processing times for these cards and offering a digital permit for the first time. This will be more sustainable, and also mean that cards can be issued immediately thus improving access to spontaneous travel for mobility scooter users.

Physical cards and postal application options will still be available for those who need them.

TransPennine Express has introduced tactile handrail signs.

How does TransPennine Express plan to ensure that all customers feel confident while traveling with them in the future?

We’ve made some great progress in the last couple of years. We’ve launched virtual station walkthroughs, British Sign Language (BSL) departure boards, live BSL interpretation in ticket offices, tactile handrail signs, lift maps and much more.

We have exciting plans for 2023 too, including our first ‘Try The Train’ Days. We will be inviting people with disabilities as well as social and support workers to come and try the train with us, supporting attendees with tips about how to travel comfortably, safely and with confidence. These trips will be provided free of charge and will be held at several locations across our network.

We will also continue to consult both our accessibility panels and customers with disabilities on all of the accessibility improvements we make, ensuring that we are delivering a train service that is accessible to all.