{"id":525578,"date":"2026-08-31T19:56:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-31T09:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/railuk.com\/?p=199215"},"modified":"2026-08-31T19:56:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T09:56:00","slug":"more-than-a-third-of-uk-train-stations-found-to-lack-disability-provisions-in-recent-investigation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=525578","title":{"rendered":"More Than a Third of UK Train Stations Found to Lack Disability Provisions in Recent Investigation"},"content":{"rendered":"

An investigation by leading women\u2019s charity, Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland (<\/strong>SIGBI<\/strong><\/a>), into safety standards at UK train stations has revealed widespread gaps in disability provision.<\/strong> <\/p>\n

The results of the new investigation are based on surveys undertaken by Soroptimists \u2013 the charity\u2019s members \u2013 across 373 stations and 985 platforms throughout the UK. <\/p>\n

Although 65% of stations reported some form of disability provision, the findings reveal that accessibility remains inconsistent and often inadequate. <\/p>\n

A significant minority of stations lack step-free access between platforms, while inaccessible lifts, steep ramps and platform restrictions can prevent independent travel. In many cases, passengers requiring assistance must rely on staff to deploy ramps, creating additional barriers where staffing levels have been reduced \u2013 the survey noted that only one in ten stations were staffed at all times. <\/p>\n

Observers also stated that the replacement of printed timetables with QR code-based information can disadvantage partially sighted passengers. <\/p>\n

These shortcomings affect all passengers with mobility needs but can also have a disproportionate impact on women, particularly disabled women, older women and mothers travelling with young children.  <\/p>\n

Gillie O\u2019Rourke, President of SIGBI, said:<\/strong> \u201cFor women already concerned about personal safety while travelling, being unable to independently access another platform, use a lift, or complete a journey without staff assistance can increase both anxiety and vulnerability.\u201d <\/p>\n

More than two decades after similar concerns were highlighted in the 2002 version of the report, the findings suggest that challenges facing disabled, elderly, pregnant and mobility-impaired passengers remain far from resolved. <\/p>\n

SIGBI has been campaigning for safer railways for women and girls for over 30 years. First launched in 1996, \u2018The Future of the Railways\u2019 was an investigation into personal safety on the railways, which the Soroptimists used to lobby the Government into taking action to do more to protect women on public transport. <\/p>\n

It was launched in response to a Soroptimist being attacked on a train in the London area. <\/p>\n

Soroptimists carried out grassroots research into the experiences of female passengers, visiting more than 500 overground stations across Britain. Their work also included consultation with station managers and rail staff to build a comprehensive picture of safety and accessibility on the rail network. <\/p>\n

SIGBI published a report making recommendations to the UK Government on how to improve safety in stations, claiming the Government\u2019s approach to passenger safety in railway stations was ineffective.  <\/p>\n

In 2024, the project was relaunched to ask the same questions of the UK\u2019s railway stations and assess how much has changed. The survey examined the visibility of railway staff, emergency help points and station signage, and evaluated the clarity and quality of safety information.  <\/p>\n

It also explored whether stations are accessible and inclusive for all passengers, with the new findings exposing a persistent gender and accessibility gap across the rail network, raising urgent questions about accountability, visibility and whether women, disabled passengers and those with mobility needs are being adequately protected and supported when travelling, especially after dark. <\/p>\n

In response to the investigation\u2019s findings, SIGBI is calling for urgent action by rail operators and government to improve accessibility across the rail network.  <\/p>\n

They call for the acceleration of step-free access programmes, the removal of mandatory Passenger Assist pre-booking requirements where operationally possible, and they want to address the growing impact of staffing cuts on disability provision. Together they want to ensure all passengers can travel safely and independently. <\/p>\n

Read SIGBI\u2019s full Railway Station Safety Survey Report here: https:\/\/sigbi.org\/railwaysurvey\/<\/a> <\/p>\n

Image credit: Railway Survey Launch<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An investigation by leading women\u2019s charity, Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI), into safety standards at UK train stations has revealed widespread gaps in disability provision.\u00a0 The results of the new investigation are based on surveys undertaken by Soroptimists \u2013 the charity\u2019s members \u2013 across 373 stations and 985 platforms throughout the UK.\u00a0 Although [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[146,16013,8221,47,16092,85],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-525578","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-accessibility","category-general-interest","category-people","category-rail-news","category-stations","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