All Line Rail Rover in a wheelchair?!

[kingqueen]

hi,

I've not posted here but I am a rail fan, I love trains. I was absolutely bowled over to do HS1 the other week, I regularly do 225s with Mk 4 from Leeds to London or HSTs with Mk 3s. I also do the Settle to Carlisle and the North East Coast regularly, and the Carlisle to Newcastle - you can get a nice circular Rail Rover specially for that (sorry, I'm going off topic.)

Anyway I'm a wheelchair user with care needs. I have to book wheelchair spaces and so on. I have my heart absolutely set on doing the all line rail rover. The romance would be fabulous.

I particularly want to do the following lines:
:- Caledonian Sleeper
:- Wick / Thurso
:- Kyle of Lockalsh
:- Mallaig
:- central Wales line (I love it, done it many times) combined with the Ffestiniog, possibly also Fishguard though the stupid lack of north-south Wales lines might kybosh!
:- Holyhead (Menai Straits - oh yes!!)
:- the Cornwall coast
:- including Settle - Carlisle if possible, maybe also the East Coast Main Line

Now there are practical limitations. I want to sleep somewhere proper and relatively private every night - first class sleeper may be possible, otherwise a hotel, and I need perhaps 10 hours downtime at least! I also need a shower every night and every morning for practical reasons, so if it is a sleeper, I need to use stations with showers.

Hotels must have wheelchair accessible rooms - travelodge, holiday inn express seem quite good at this

I'm not absolutely made of money - 1 week would be about right, 2 weeks would be too much both money wise and in terms of my tiredness I think.

The biggie though is getting Carers. Being in residential care I don't have my own! Hiring agency for this length of time would not be in any way financially viable. I need a carer, or perhaps two or three in shifts, to share the week with me. I wonder if any charities might supply anybody? Anybody done rail travel holidays with disabled people with care needs before?

I suspect this hasn't been done before - a wheelchair user with care needs doing as much of Britain's most fabulous railways as possible in a week! Booking assistance for all the journeys will be quite entertaining in itself - which is a good point: I can't really be that spontaneous as rail operators ask us cripples to book at least a day in advance for wheelchair spaces and ramps etc.

I don't really know how to start to tackle this! I'm dead excited though if I can get this off the ground! Or is it just a pipe dream?

doug

 

[ChrisTheRef]

You may find using the sleeper very difficult for practical reasons.

The corridor down the side of the berths is a tight squeeze for a larger sized male, so I think you may struggle in a wheelchair.

I hope it works out for you though. I did one in February and loved every minute

 

[kingqueen]

Thanks for the thoughts Chris! I'm glad you enjoyed yourself - I've yet to find anybody who's done one who hasn't.

The Scotrail website says:
"Disabled customer facilities

Specially adapted disabled accessible berth and toilet facilities have been introduced onto Sleeper services."

It will be interesting to see how they've managed that given what you describe!

 

[ChrisTheRef]

There may have been one which I haven't seen.

We were in the seated section, but when the heating broke at 2am, we trudged through the train with all our belongings.

Needless to say...I wasn't really concentrating on the disabled facilities!

 

[kingqueen]

Yes, I can imagine that you had some more pressing concerns! No heating on that line at that time of year must have been interesting!

Cheers

 

[mickey]

Specially adapted disabled accessible berth and toilet facilities have been introduced onto Sleeper services."

I imagine they've set aside some of the end compartments so you don't have to trudge up and down the aisle. At least that's what they've done on the newer Russian sleeping cars so I imagine they've got something similar here. Staff may have been on disability-awareness training courses too.

It's just a wild thought, but have you considered approaching TV production companies or magazines? I have absolutely no idea how successful it would be, or how much a drama queen you are, but if this really is the first time anyone's tried this it would make for a very interesting documentary (and they'd pay...)

 

[jopsuk]

From what I can remember (the only times I've used the sleeper as an adult, I spent a couple of hours getting "refreshments" in a bar at Euston beforehand) the disabled facilities involve replacing the two loos on a coach with an accessible loo. I have a feeling that the accessible cabin may in fact be double sized too? It is certainly located next to the loo. Might even be marshalled next to the lounge? Someone with more reliable information must be able to help!

 

[CallySleeperKid]

There is a double (at least) sized cabin set aside for wheelchair users or other passengers who may have difficulty getting down the coach to other berths, it is always situated right next to the lounge car and the larger toilet, which is also wheelchair accessible. I can't remember for sure as I only got a quick look inside but I'm sure there was two single beds in there, there may well have been a bunk folded away to.

Another point is there is no lounge car on the Fort William until after the train splits at Edinburgh, so you have to get food and drinks from the Inverness section, but that's not a problem if you would be travelling with a companion.

One thing I have noticed is that ScotRail staff tend to be very helpful with disabled travellers, quite a few times asking if any assistance will be needed at the destination station.

Good luck with your ALR, I have travelled all the Scottish routes that you want to travel, so if you have any questions, please drop me a message, I can't promise Ill have the answers but I can always give some advice.

CSK

 

[wintonian]

Is there a seating plan available anywhere which might help the OP visualise the arrangements?

There is some information on the sleeper here: http://www.seat61.com/CaledonianSleepers.htm which also describes the disabled berth.

National rail information for people with disabilities: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/passenger_services/disabled_passengers/#TrainFacilities.

There are also helpful directions on how to get around station on the network for example: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stati...moderateRamps=Yes&verySteepRamps=No&lifts=Yes

 

[43167]

Sounds like a good plan. You enjoy youself mate. Not done an all-line for about 4 years, but i have enjoyed them.

 

[kingqueen]

It's just a wild thought, but have you considered approaching TV production companies or magazines? I have absolutely no idea how successful it would be, or how much a drama queen you are, but if this really is the first time anyone's tried this it would make for a very interesting documentary (and they'd pay...)

That's an interesting thought, thank you! I wonder if I am the first to do it with my degree of need. I shall give it due consideration - but I must admit to being very selfish and really wanting to do it without the added pressures of a TV company etc. But the fiscal benefits are very appealing...
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Thanks to everybody for the extremely helpful information, suggestions and encouragement. So the long and the short of it is that the Caledonian Sleeper looks doable - excellent! This is a most warm and helpful forum.

I phoned South West Trains yesterday to ask about the Night Riviera. It took them 24 hours before they managed to find out that it isn't wheelchair accessible. But I am less perturbed by that.

Does anybody have a "plan" as to how they plan their journeys for an ALR? Or is it substantial and interesting use of the National Rail Journeyplanner together with laterooms and similar? It feels a little daunting to plan given I need accessible hotel rooms and everything.

thanks!

 

[rail-britain]

If you need assistance in booking or planning this, contact me via PM

Caledonian Sleeper :
Normally the "disabled" sleeper berth is next to the Lounge Car
On all my trips last year this was the case, with the exception of one Sunday Glasgow - Euston (as there was no Lounge Car)
However, I am quite sure you could have asked to be moved at Edinburgh
This berth is simply two berths merged into one, allowing wheelchair access (although how the wheelchair is actually supposed to get down the corridor is beyond me!)

Night Riviera Sleeper :
There are NO disabled berths
However, you could request one of the higher number (the low number is next to the attendant, the high number is next to the toilet) berths, but there is no guarantee it will be closer to the Lounge Car
Unlike the Caledonian Sleeper, you simply book a single or twin berth
The single berths are closest to the Lounge Car (well they were on my journey, so I couldn't guarantee that)

As a First Class ticket holder you get a "hot" option
Personally, do NOT take it (unless it is a Friday night sleeper, see below)
With careful planning you can actually get a "better" breakfast with other train companies
I did this on all but two journeys (as breakfast isn't normally served on Saturday and Sunday mornings)

Using the sleepers you are ENTITLED to use the showers at Paddington
If you are a First Class ticket holder then you can use them for free at Euston, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Inverness, and Fort William

Ironically, the routes you have suggested don't have many trains with First Class
It may be prudent to purchase a mix of advance First Class and Standard tickets, plus a sleeper package when required
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Does anybody have a "plan" as to how they plan their journeys for an ALR?

Take a look at mine from last year
I will shortly be planning mine for this year, I am just waiting to see what loco hauled services and diversions are planned

 

[kingqueen]

Thanks ever so Rail-Britain! That's very nice of you. Do you have a link to your previous ALR trip?

I'm stuck on a train right now, a 225 on the way back from London to Leeds, after a fatality on the line at Peterborough, everything is very slow, delayed, extra stops and/or cancelled. Mind I don't think anybody can be blamed for this one, and it's very sad for the guy who chucked himself off. and his family.

The disruption I faced on the Underground yesterday evening was less excusable though. The lifts at Earls Court broke down and piccadilly services stopped running. It's the only station for some way that has wheelchair access to the surface. That, combined with instructions from train staff etc. assuming that everybody could manage stairs, caused a certain amount of panic and going back and forth through Earls Court 3 times before I actually managed to get to the "surface"!

 

[ChrisTheRef]

Personally, my ALR wasn't a "bashing" trip, but more a whistle stop sightseeing tour in lots of major cities.

So we decided where we wanted to visit, then the best way of getting between them - including sleepers where possible - and looked at rough train times, so we weren't left waiting for ages.