Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson - yet another assistance failure

[Wolfie]

Indeed; idealism crashes quite hard into reality sometimes. It would certainly be useful however if it were clearly communicated to assistance users that there is a target timeframe for being met, or that there may be a delay during busier times etc. It isn’t ideal of course, but it is usually better to be honest and set realistic expectations.

That is sensible, l agree.

 

[Horizon22]

If these problems didn't happen frequently outside of disruption I'd have some sympathy, but it happens all the time when things are running smoothly.

It’s much rarer - but still also needs proper investigation. Of course we should aim for it to happen 0% of the time even if the vast majority of assisted travel journeys are done successfully.

There’s two elements here - the first which is about assistance being available at origin, on-board (if required) and destination. This appears to have been a communications / human (i.e forgotten / busy) failure. Even if there’s going to be a delay at destination (only suitable for terminus) that can still be communicated.

The other one is about level boarding and access for all and that’s a wider funding question.

 

[WelshBluebird]

To take a slightly alternative view, if the guard or train manager isn't responsible for going through to check the train is empty, who is? Especially in the evening you could easily have people asleep or passed out etc. And why is it different depending on ToC? Surely the expectations should be the same!

Just playing devil’s advocate here. The situation the customer faced was awful and undeniably so. But is this a systemic failure requiring a major rethink?

Yes. Because it happens time and time and time again. This isn't a one off, or a rare situation caused by unusual levels or disruption or assistance needed. This kind of thing is experienced by those with accessibility needs all of the damn time.

You mentioned that two minutes is unacceptable

To take to this case we aren't talking about 2 minutes. We are talking about 15.

I feel for the passenger deeply. But I also feel for the staff who probably didn’t pause for breath last night trying to help and who’s names and reputations are now being dragged through the mud.

The individuals aren't being dragged through the mud. The system is.

 

[FulshawPark]

Not that this detracts from the seriousness of a diabled passenger left on a TOC, however, today's story is almost a carbpn copy of the same story TGT put out in 2012 which made its way onto Channel 4's then disability programme, No Go Britain.

On that occassion, the TOC investigated and all was not as straight forward as it seemed. The story and timings did not match with the CCTV and train manager/station manager evidence.

At the time, TGT was not that interested in talking to the industry to improve the situation and seemed more than happy with the headlines that boosted her own profile and campaign messaging.

While problems do exist, I hope her oft repeated story does not have the efefct of putting off any disabled passengers from choosing to travel by train when the assiatnce has vastly improved over the years.

 

[LowLevel]

The guard is aware via their use of the same universal app that the stations use.

Sort of. One thing that we've requested repeatedly is for the app to be modified with "push" notifications so the guard can set their train in the same way station staff set their stations and receive a "ping" on their phones whenever something happens involving their train.

Annoyingly the "on train" setting is just a sort of free view which requires the guard to do a search for their train.

 

[6Gman]

Staff also need to take it properly seriously. I got a gobful of abuse from a LNR guard when I pointed out someone in a wheelchair needing the ramp to him when he preferred having a chat with the driver than dealing with it. This attitude problem needs to be considered a serious disciplinary offence

I once boarded the last Birmingham-Edinburgh of the day, which had 2 Voyagers, one of which detached at Crewe with only the front set going through.

Since we were travelling to Crewe I went to the lightly loaded rear set.

A blind guy was assisted onto the train and carefully placed in a seat across from us.

Shortly after leaving Brum he took a phone call and he clearly had a Scottish accent so I asked him where he was going. Edinburgh. So I explained the situation and that he would need to speak to the TM when he came through and arrange to move to the front portion at Crewe. The TM didn't come through so after Stafford I went to find him and explained that there was a blind passenger who had been put in the wrong portion. His reply was "Oh, I'll have a walk through when we get to Crewe to see if anyone needs to move" - which might have worked for most passengers but hardly for a blind person.

So I took the guy up to the front portion myself with never a sight of the TM.

So, yes - staff don't always take it properly or seriously.

 

[Krokodil]

Is this actually part of a Train Manager's responsibilities at any TOC?

At TfW it is the TM's job, except possibly at Cardiff (I don't sign there). TfW station staff still clear other TOC's trains.

One of the sad things here is that 'cleaners aren't insured to help' means that basic human nature didn't step in to help. If it was me and I saw this situation I wouldn't care if I was insured or not, I would take the tiny risk to myself to help - after all, surely it just comes down to moving the portable platform ramp to the right door - hardly dangerous work! It's pathetic that this US-style indemnity attitude is now prevailing.

They shouldn't be using the ramp themselves. They should however be attempting to contact someone who can.

Two minutes is too slow. The ramp person should be there as the wheels stop turning, even if they only wave through the window and can't physically put the ramp down until the crowds have dispersed. If they can't be, the system is faulty.

When I've got someone for an unstaffed station and I can't be already there as the train arrives (door controls in the wrong place, or multiple assistance requests) I let the passenger know that I'll be with them once that's done. The main worry that I observe wheelchair users having is of being forgotten so I do my best to reassure them in advance.

What if there are four wheelchair users, two in standard and two 1/4 of a kilometer away in first class and there’s a queue of 5 similarly loaded trains (all full and standing) arriving literally one behind the other, which is what happened last night?

It's Kings Cross, not Rannoch Moor. It should be able to justify sufficient staff. In the event that it is short, the Duty Station Manager should be contacting guards to say "we're short of staff, can you sort out the passenger in coach X while we help the one in coach Z?"

All this when my return train is late awaiting my arrival

Tough. The TOC can either employ enough staff, or it can cough up for the delay minutes. I never take shortcuts because of late running.

You'd like to think so, but that has let many down spectacularly on several occasions... many have gone back to old fashioned ways of ringing things through.

I had one occasion where a station said that they'd "update the app" and nothing turned up at the other end. After which I reverted to phoning ahead. Much more reliable.

To take a slightly alternative view, if the guard or train manager isn't responsible for going through to check the train is empty, who is?

The station staff

 

[6Gman]

Not that this detracts from the seriousness of a diabled passenger left on a TOC, however, today's story is almost a carbpn copy of the same story TGT put out in 2012 which made its way onto Channel 4's then disability programme, No Go Britain.

On that occassion, the TOC investigated and all was not as straight forward as it seemed. The story and timings did not match with the CCTV and train manager/station manager evidence.

At the time, TGT was not that interested in talking to the industry to improve the situation and seemed more than happy with the headlines that boosted her own profile and campaign messaging.

While problems do exist, I hope her oft repeated story does not have the efefct of putting off any disabled passengers from choosing to travel by train when the assiatnce has vastly improved over the years.

Can you cite the evidence for this claim?

In any event, it's surely the responsibility of the industry to improve things rather than the victims of its failures?

 

[Horizon22]

To take a slightly alternative view, if the guard or train manager isn't responsible for going through to check the train is empty, who is? Especially in the evening you could easily have people asleep or passed out etc. And why is it different depending on ToC? Surely the expectations should be the same!

Nobody. If the train is running in passenger service returning from the terminus it doesn't normally matter. The cleaners will go through and if something is identified that needs attention (which may or may not be passengers), they will inform station dispatch staff or train crew.

Obviously if the train is going Empty Coaching Stock (ECS) to depot/next location it needs to be fully train cleared by station staff/crew to confirm there is nobody on board

I once boarded the last Birmingham-Edinburgh of the day, which had 2 Voyagers, one of which detached at Crewe with only the front set going through.

Since we were travelling to Crewe I went to the lightly loaded rear set.

A blind guy was assisted onto the train and carefully placed in a seat across from us.

Shortly after leaving Brum he took a phone call and he clearly had a Scottish accent so I asked him where he was going. Edinburgh. So I explained the situation and that he would need to speak to the TM when he came through and arrange to move to the front portion at Crewe. The TM didn't come through so after Stafford I went to find him and explained that there was a blind passenger who had been put in the wrong portion. His reply was "Oh, I'll have a walk through when we get to Crewe to see if anyone needs to move" - which might have worked for most passengers but hardly for a blind person.

So I took the guy up to the front portion myself with never a sight of the TM.

So, yes - staff don't always take it properly or seriously.

This is just where staff can get overloaded - through the best will in the world they might have to deal with 5-6 other things and it could slip your mind. Even the best train crew are prone to forget things - even if it may not be assisted travel - especially during disrupted journeys.

I've done it once before myself and had to run full pelt to ensure I provided the assistance I did when it was required and you could tell the passenger was visibily concerned before I go there. This is why people pull passenger alarms and delay trains - something I'd suggest people do if they really have to. Normally the investigation is "sorry guv I forgot because of X/Y/Z". No matter how sophisticated we get with assisted travel and no matter how close it gets to 100% compliance, some people will always be missed due to human nature and workload. Do I think thats right? Of course not. Do I think it will happen in reality? Yes.

The answer to this is level boarding on every train and station but as we all know that is some way off (if it ever happens).

 

[HSTEd]

Any system based on people will inevitably fail in some portion of cases. Whilst trains remained cramped and lack level boarding, some cases will continue to fall through the net.

Unfortunately, without spending an astronomical sum of money these loading gauge issues cannot be overcome.
HS2 can't even get level boarding throughout and will never be able to provide it.

The government is still ordering trains without level boarding in any case.

 

[Blindtraveler]

I haven't read the entire thread but I'm sorry to say this and apologies to any staff who I might defend in the process. But with regards to the operator and station concerned in this incident, it's business as usual as far as I'm concerned. Neither are particularly good at this. And there is a huge variation in standards, you either get nothing or you get the odd person who is really, really committed to it all and excellent at their job
What annoys me is people who insist on repeatedly making a media noise about it, it makes me as a disabled traveller who simply wants to try and put his disability on one side and lead a normal life. Otherwise feel really rather annoyed and fed up

 

[Bletchleyite]

HS2 can't even get level boarding throughout and will never be able to provide it.

It could. There are ways if they are willing to spend money, e.g. one vehicle with a drop between the bogies and doors at two heights with a ramp between them (as per the Stadler Giruno).

 

[Malaxa]

Just curious, did the Baroness cancel the assistance she'd booked for the earlier arrival at KX which she'd somehow missed? [hope it wasn't an advance purchase ticket...]

 

[Bertiethebobby]

This has just been discussed on Jeremy Vine's show on radio 2.
TGT mentioned the target of level boarding on all trains by 2020, however, the rest of the piece was just people ringing in and talking about problems they had encountered or had seen on trains (and on planes, which isn't really relevant in this discussion)
I was hoping that someone from the railway industry, they usually get someone from the Railway Gazette or Modern Railways, quite often it's Christian Wolmar etc to explain the difficulties of ensuring level boarding. There are over 2500 stations, most of which have multiple platforms, I don't know how many types of stock, maybe 40/50 at a guess, it would be a monumental task, let alone the massive cost and disruption.
Incidentally, Frank Gardner was on saying how he had travelled all around Europe and Russia by himself with no problems, a claim of which I am rather sceptical. I have travelled extensively by rail in Europe and have found that most trains have steps as the platform is usually only about a foot above track level.

 

[800001]

Just curious, did the Baroness cancel the assistance she'd booked for the earlier arrival at KX which she'd somehow missed? [hope it wasn't an advance purchase ticket...]

That would/should/can be done by the assistance team who helped her onto the train at Leeds.

Even without her being placed on the later train, as she was not there for the first train, she would be marked on the system as a ‘no show’.

 

[TreacleMiller]

Two minutes is too slow. The ramp person should be there as the wheels stop turning, even if they only wave through the window and can't physically put the ramp down until the crowds have dispersed. If they can't be, the system is faulty.

Two minutes in the scheme of things is nothing, given most services have that as a minimum for station duties. At terminal stations it's higher. It only takes 2 people at either end of the train (which frequently happens) to need assistance and it takes a little bit of time.

The newer stock aims to address this, but will Mena four different locations for ramps for staff to deal with on just LNERs sets - more if the 91s are still around.

I've recently had a passanger pull emergency door releases mid platform because they were worried she hasn't seen the assist staff member coming up the platform. There needs to be realism when thinking of the logistics involved.

But I completely agree, the railway in general seems to still treat people with assistance needs as an after thought. There's a lot of training dedicated to it but I agree it's poor.

I've been on sets traveling and driving where ive found people left at terminals. Rather than help myself (because I'm not trained to) I have to find staff who are trained and that isn't easy to do when they've all left the train or are on another platform a 500m walk away.

Cleaning staff could have asked for help too.

 

[Krokodil]

The answer to this is level boarding on every train and station but as we all know that is some way off (if it ever happens).

Out of interest, are there any 125mph+ intercity trains around the world which offer it?

Any system based on people will inevitably fail in some portion of cases.

So will one reliant upon technology. I've been at Luzern where the gap-filling step failed to deploy, leaving a man in a wheelchair trapped onboard until other passengers could find a member of staff.

I haven't read the entire thread but I'm sorry to say this and apologies to any staff who I might defend in the process. But with regards to the operator and station concerned in this incident, it's business as usual as far as I'm concerned. Neither are particularly good at this.

I'm told that Euston has an awful reputation for this too. Clearly there is an issue with London terminals or with big stations in general, which smaller stations staffed by less than half a dozen staff in total don't seem to suffer from. The larger the organisation, the more potential for communication to break down.

 

[Horizon22]

Incidentally, Frank Gardner was on saying how he had travelled all around Europe and Russia by himself with no problems, a claim of which I am rather sceptical. I have travelled extensively by rail in Europe and have found that most trains have steps as the platform is usually only about a foot above track level.

I do find it sceptical too. Slightly off-topic but he's certainly had issues on planes and airports and there was an incident at Gatwick in 2022:

BBC journalist and wheelchair user Frank Gardner stranded on plane at Gatwick

The security correspondent was left on the aircraft after flying to the West Sussex airport with Iberia Express on Thursday night.

www.independent.co.uk

BBC journalist and wheelchair user Frank Gardner expressed outrage at being left on a plane after it landed at Gatwick.

The security correspondent was stranded on the aircraft after flying to the West Sussex airport with Iberia Express on Thursday night.

This comes after a passenger with restricted mobility died at Gatwick on June 15.

He fell while going up an escalator after leaving an aircraft without a helper.

Mr Gardner has been left on planes at UK airports several times in recent years.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'm told that Euston has an awful reputation for this too. Clearly there is an issue with London terminals or with big stations in general, which smaller stations staffed by less than half a dozen staff in total don't seem to suffer from. The larger the organisation, the more potential for communication to break down.

TBH it's hard to find anything about Euston that isn't awful, so that doesn't surprise me. I've certainly seen assistance fails there.

 

[Horizon22]

Out of interest, are there any 125mph+ intercity trains around the world which offer it?

I don't know that one, but I imagine very few.

So will one reliant upon technology. I've been at Luzern where the gap-filling step failed to deploy, leaving a man in a wheelchair trapped onboard until other passengers could find a member of staff.


I'm told that Euston has an awful reputation for this too. Clearly there is an issue with London terminals or with big stations in general, which smaller stations staffed by less than half a dozen staff in total don't seem to suffer from. The larger the organisation, the more potential for communication to break down.

One issue is that it is normally TOC staff putting the individual on but Network Rail staff (at NR managed stations) taking them off. Communication lines are normally OK (e.g everyone who needs to gets the booked passenger assistance emails/alerts, but I'm sorry to say the quality of the staff of the passenger assistance teams at some London terminals seems to leave something to be desired in my experience (not proactive, missing simple instructions etc.). It's an entry grade role so pays only slightly more than minimum wage. Staff warned of arrivals in ample time but still don't turn up in time. This is despite quite a few stations putting considerable funding into passenger assistance in recent years.

This complaint will probably go via LNER to Network Rail ultimately, especially if LNER did everything right on their end. It's all a nationalised operation ultimately in this instance anyway, so no passing the blame around!

I know this is not always possible but if the TM had time and didn't have other tasks, and I was in their shoes, I'd probably on arrival at Kings Cross wait to see the assistance buggy was on the platform just to be sure everything was in hand and/or wait a few minutes to check and if not, flag station staff to assist or support personally.

 

[Howardh]

In future, couldn't new trains where the wheelchair user/s is/are expected to sit, have a door adjacent where by a press of a button a ramp automatically descends with a warning buzzer for anyone that might get in the way? Admittedly the problem would arise after it's use, as in how and when it retracts safely - presumably when the guard has seen the doors are clear - but something like that would give independence to the wheelchair user so they are not reliant on anyone else?

New and refurbed trains have done an excellent job r/e toilets and spaces, so is this possible?

 

[Busaholic]

Bizarre that some haven't heard of her. She has been on The One Show often, chat shows like J.Ross G.Norton and others over the years. Obviously sports programmes as well. It could be that it is just the name that is not familiar so, here she is......

This kind of thing also happens at airports, with people left on an empty plane.

It's amazing how people with obvious disabilities are invisible to many people. As the world as a whole takes an ever more right wing trajectory, in which I'd include this country, the seriously disabled will be met with an increasingly National Socialist 'solution' to their problems. In the meantime, the 'blind eye' approach carries on relentlessly in practice.

 

[lkpridgeon]

You'd like to think so, but that has let many down spectacularly on several occasions... many have gone back to old fashioned ways of ringing things through.

And likewise, as a disabled passenger I've started to insist guards do so as all too often the station isn't aware. And in some cases call through myself. When being boarded at a staffed station, I insist that I am boarded near the guard to ensure that they are actually aware. The app is not working, as soon as one point in a leg fails the whole assistance fails for the rest of the journey due to lack of communication and a "not my job" attitude.

Then the app could also have an "my assistance has not arrived" option which alerts the control centre and TM that there's a problem.

This would help so much! It's getting ridiculous how often I'm having to ring through to customer services for a given operator, wait 5-10 minutes. escalate up to someone that can alert control or the station team then finally solve the issue.

From a prior post of mine (nothing has changed in the last year since writing):

The technology is great when it works. The main issue I've found with the current assist app is quite often some guards don't check or for some reason it doesn't come through to the train even though the assist was accepted. So unfortunately in person handover between station and on-board staff is a must.

The issue with assistance just putting the passenger on the train is the (on-board) responsible staff member may be unaware which could lead to issues upon arrival where assistance isn't caught and the passenger gets stuck on the train until a later point of the service (this has happened to me!), the customer may also needs that may require additional on-board assistance in the likes of delays or moving down the train in the case of short platforms as quite often the staff member at one station is completely oblivious to short platforms en-route and will just use the door nearest to the ingress point at their station,

What should happen for pre-booked assistance is as follows:
> The customer goes to a clearly signed meeting point at the station/ticket office.
> A member of staff greats them there and checks for additional needs
> The member of staff takes them to the platform and sites them somewhere suitable (if early)
> If the member of staff needs to hand-over they need to go through it with the customer
> Customer is helped onto train and met by on-board staff
> On-board staff assume duty of care
> For arrivals on-board wait for then handover to platform staff

My general experience is (for staffed station):
> Ticket office staff send you to agency staff at gateline
> They don't know what's happening
> Back to the ticket office where staff are radioed
> Guard/onboard are unaware of the assistance request
> Passenger has to explain disability in public (which can be sensitive)
> Guard helps you off, assistance might not be there

For unstaffed stations it's 50/50 if the guard knows. And a faff to sort arrival arrangements.

Stopping trains from departing with station staff assisting passengers onboard

Earlier in the week when my wife was being assisted to board her train the station staff member asked me to stay by the doors to stop it departing with him on board and, sure enough, I had to quickly shout to the guard when he blew his whistle and advise that the staff member was still on the...

www.railforums.co.uk

Just the other week I had a train dispatch on me whilst I was walking down the platform waving frantically at the guard trying to get their attention (whilst walking within the dispatch corridor!), there was no disruption on the route that morning. After that failure my assistance was re-confirmed for a later service, I was sat where instructed and the guard was sent details of description and whereabouts, the guard upon arrival was in the wrong location, did a quick glance of the platform then dispatched without me. The 3rd (and successful attempt) was a special stop order on a service that was booked to pass as that was the only way to ensure the train wouldn't leave without me. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident and has been a common experience across most operators, to a greater and lesser extent.

From a staffing standpoint, there is an argument that staff should step in from other roles to help (ie: gateline and ticket office) in times when the platform staff are overstretched (or short to begin with -- the more common issue). Some operators are prioritising the gate-line over disabled assistance even when the gate-line are trained to handle such requests.

 

[Wolfie]

Can you cite the evidence for this claim?

In any event, it's surely the responsibility of the industry to improve things rather than the victims of its failures?

Indeed. Victim blaming is never attractive.

And likewise, as a disabled passenger I've started to insist guards do so as all too often the station isn't aware. And in some cases call through myself. When being boarded at a staffed station, I insist that I am boarded near the guard to ensure that they are actually aware. The app is not working, as soon as one point in a leg fails the whole assistance fails for the rest of the journey due to lack of communication and a "not my job" attitude.

This would help so much! It's getting ridiculous how often I'm having to ring through to customer services for a given operator, wait 5-10 minutes. escalate up to someone that can alert control or the station team then finally solve the issue.

From a prior post of mine (nothing has changed in the last year since writing):


Just the other week I had a train dispatch on me whilst I was walking down the platform waving frantically at the guard trying to get their attention (whilst walking within the dispatch corridor!), there was no disruption on the route that morning. After that failure my assistance was re-confirmed for a later service, I was sat where instructed and the guard was sent details of description and whereabouts, the guard upon arrival was in the wrong location, did a quick glance of the platform then dispatched without me. The 3rd (and successful attempt) was a special stop order on a service that was booked to pass as that was the only way to ensure the train wouldn't leave without me. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident and has been a common experience across most operators, to a greater and lesser extent.

From a staffing standpoint, there is an argument that staff should step in from other roles to help (ie: gateline and ticket office) in times when the platform staff are overstretched (or short to begin with -- the more common issue). Some operators are prioritising the gate-line over disabled assistance even when the gate-line are trained to handle such requests.

Thank you for sharing your horrendous-sounding personal experience. Hopefully it will puncture the complacency of some on here.

 

[class 9]

Is that only if the train is to depart ECS though? What about at a terminus where the train will restart in passenger service?

Yes, train managers responsibility when it's a turn round.

 

[Horizon22]

Yes, train managers responsibility when it's a turn round.

If they are working the same train back. Long distance crew diagrams normally necessitate a break at a London terminus.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

Can you cite the evidence for this claim?

In any event, it's surely the responsibility of the industry to improve things rather than the victims of its failures?

It really isn't very difficult to do a quick Google search. The link to the 2012 incident is freely available on the Channel 4 website and seems near identical to the latest claim.

How Paralympian Tanni had to crawl from train

As Channel 4 News launches No Go Britain, an investigation into transport for the disabled, the UK's most successful disabled athlete reveals how she was recently left stranded on a train.

www.channel4.com

Tanni Grey Thompson is a well known disability rights activist and she obviously knows the upcoming Paralympics make disability a very topical issue right now. Without wishing to minimise the barriers wheelchair-bound passengers sometimes face, I'm afraid TGT's latest complaint sounds suspiciously like a manufactured PR stunt to me.

 

[TUC]

It's amazing how people with obvious disabilities are invisible to many people. As the world as a whole takes an ever more right wing trajectory, in which I'd include this country, the seriously disabled will be met with an increasingly National Socialist 'solution' to their problems. In the meantime, the 'blind eye' approach carries on relentlessly in practice.

That is a really unhelpful attitude to be honest. In case you hadn't noticed, disabled people themselves come from both the left and right politically. It is patronising to think otherwise. To think anything else, or to assume that those from the right are against disabled people, is simply naive.

It really isn't very difficult to do a quick Google search. The link to the 2012 incident is freely available on the Channel 4 website and seems near identical to the latest claim.

How Paralympian Tanni had to crawl from train

As Channel 4 News launches No Go Britain, an investigation into transport for the disabled, the UK's most successful disabled athlete reveals how she was recently left stranded on a train.

www.channel4.com

Tanni Grey Thompson is a well known disability rights activist and she obviously knows the upcoming Paralympics make disability a very topical issue right now. Without wishing to minimise the barriers wheelchair-bound passengers sometimes face, I'm afraid TGT's latest complaint sounds suspiciously like a manufactured PR stunt to me.

How do you manufacture staff not turning up to assist?

 

[Alfie1014]

Out of interest, are there any 125mph+ intercity trains around the world which offer it?

As mentioned above the STADLER built SBB Giruno trains have level boarding at standard height platforms and are cleared for up to 250kph. Also DB’s soon to be introduced new TALGO hauled sets IC-L (L for low!) will be mostly low floor (except end cars) and will be cleared for 230kph, a version of these will be supplied to DSB too.

Unfortunately TGT is wrong about the DDA 2020 deadline (it was actually RVAR) as it didn’t mandate level boarding (it probably should have) and to be fair there was no technically affordable to solution to deliver level boarding at the time the legislation was consulted on and implemented back in the late 1990s early 2000s. I also think the division between trains (TOC) and infrastructure (Railtrack/Network Rail) hasn’t helped in delivering the best customer outcome, perhaps the new ‘guiding mind’ will deliver this in the future!

 

[Dave W]

Without wishing to minimise the barriers wheelchair-bound passengers sometimes face, I'm afraid TGT's latest complaint sounds suspiciously like a manufactured PR stunt to me.

Can you clarify exactly how this is a "PR stunt" and the process Tanni Grey-Thompson deployed to "manufacture" it?