{"id":244144,"date":"2025-06-30T18:55:51","date_gmt":"2025-06-30T08:55:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/railuk.com\/?p=179252"},"modified":"2025-06-30T18:55:51","modified_gmt":"2025-06-30T08:55:51","slug":"publicly-owned-operators-in-west-yorkshire-announce-trial-to-improve-travel-for-blind-people","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=244144","title":{"rendered":"Publicly-owned operators in West Yorkshire announce trial to improve travel for blind people"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Publicly-owned train operators serving West Yorkshire are working with West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Network Rail on a trial to improve the travel experience for residents who have a blind person\u2019s travel pass.<\/p>\n

The pass provides free rail travel for blind people on all LNER, Northern, and TransPennine Express services in the region, as part of the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS).<\/p>\n

Until now, passengers who are registered blind and travelling with their ENCTS pass have been unable to use automated ticket gates and were instead directed to station staff for assistance.<\/p>\n

Following feedback from passengers, West Yorkshire Combined Authority, train operators and Network Rail are now trialing a new approach that does not involve blind passengers having to seek help at ticket gates. Ten participants will be issued a temporary West Yorkshire travel pass (MCard) for a three-month period, which will grant access through the automated ticket barriers.<\/p>\n

This partnership approach recognises the call for people registered blind to access services in a way that reflects their choices and independence.<\/p>\n

Customers can also continue to be supported by station staff.<\/p>\n

The trial will run from Tuesday 1 July for three months at stations in the region that have ticket gate lines, which include Bradford Interchange, Bradford Forster Square, Dewsbury, Huddersfield, Leeds, and Wakefield Westgate.<\/p>\n

Passenger Kathryn Milner said: \u201cMy independence is really important to me and as someone who regularly travels by train I want to be able to get about without being hindered by a process that I know doesn\u2019t apply to me \u2013 just because I\u2019m visually impaired. I\u2019m glad I raised my experience with Northern and grateful to them for their efforts to bring about this trial, which I hope will bring about a permanent change.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tricia Williams, managing director of Northern, said: \u201cWe\u2019re grateful to Kathryn for sharing her experience and working with us to get this trial up and running. Passenger assistance is a very important service, but one size doesn\u2019t fit all. Each person\u2019s requirements will be different and those who wish to travel independently must be allowed to do so.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very proud of the way we have been able to roll the trial out so easily across other train operators and Network Rail. It is a great example of collaboration across the publicly-owned group.\u201d<\/p>\n

Image credit: Northern<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Publicly-owned train operators serving West Yorkshire are working with West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Network Rail on a trial to improve the travel experience for residents who have a blind person\u2019s travel pass. The pass provides free rail travel for blind people on all LNER, Northern, and TransPennine Express services in the region, as part [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":1,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[146,16940,47,16016,913,85],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-244144","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-accessibility","category-diversity-inclusion","category-rail-news","category-train-operating-companies","category-travel","category-uk"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t