kingqueen
Member
I was delighted the other day to catch a 37/4 hauled Mk2 TSO rake from Ravenglass to Barrow, in my wheelchair.
My wheelchair is within the reference wheelchair size of 70cm by 120cm but wouldn't fit through the interior door from the "porch" area of the Mk2 carriage into the wheelchair space. I don't think it would fit through if it was 67cm either (some rail industry websites state that some older trains won't take any wheelchairs wider than 67cm.) I was thus stuck in the doorway area.
The portable ramps had a rectangle cut out of one of the top corners so they would fit in the Mk2 external doorway. The conductor commented that before they modified the ramps, wheelchair access was even more limited and difficult.
I would like to do some bashing on 37s up and down the route but I don't want to spend several hours trapped solely in the doorway porch bits. So I emailed Northern Railway, to no response. I tweeted them and the conversation was not very helpful.
My question is: is there some form of solution? I don't want to go ahead and book assistance where my concern is just "noted" and then I'm stuck in the porch area. I don't mind being in a goods van bit of the DBSO or something, I'm used to it on heritage railways. But is there some rule that says they can't? or some other solution?
all suggestions welcome!
thanks
My wheelchair is within the reference wheelchair size of 70cm by 120cm but wouldn't fit through the interior door from the "porch" area of the Mk2 carriage into the wheelchair space. I don't think it would fit through if it was 67cm either (some rail industry websites state that some older trains won't take any wheelchairs wider than 67cm.) I was thus stuck in the doorway area.
The portable ramps had a rectangle cut out of one of the top corners so they would fit in the Mk2 external doorway. The conductor commented that before they modified the ramps, wheelchair access was even more limited and difficult.
I would like to do some bashing on 37s up and down the route but I don't want to spend several hours trapped solely in the doorway porch bits. So I emailed Northern Railway, to no response. I tweeted them and the conversation was not very helpful.
My question is: is there some form of solution? I don't want to go ahead and book assistance where my concern is just "noted" and then I'm stuck in the porch area. I don't mind being in a goods van bit of the DBSO or something, I'm used to it on heritage railways. But is there some rule that says they can't? or some other solution?
all suggestions welcome!
thanks