Passenger Assistance - what does it cover?

[TheManOnThe172]

I've just had a rather curt agent at CrossCountry Passenger Assistance (PA) tell me that PA will only cover getting the passenger to and from the end of the carriage (ie luggage and passenger into the entrance lobby) and not help to/from a seat or in stowing luggage on a luggage rack. Only those with a visual impairment, she told me, qualified for on-train help.

I am sure that the relative for whom I occasionally make PA bookings has been helped to and from their seat (once having the station helper end up carried away on the train to the next station). But is that "above and beyond" help that passengers shouldn't count on? For anyone with a physical limitation, it is the minimum guaranteed help that defines what they can do, not the "usually" or "at best" provision.

National Rail have a video that is long on reassurance but short on detail, and I can't find anything written to explain the limits of what you can expect from PA. Any pointers, please?

 

[LCC106]

Looking at this document, it states that assistance is available to help people on and off the train. It doesn’t mention taking to a seat, but doesn’t mention not doing so either. Towards the very end it states that if you are not happy with the outcome of your complaint you can contact the rail ombudsman. No idea if this helps or not! https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/media/4331/dl-making-rail-accessible-web.pdf

 

[74A]

I suspect one of the reasons for this policy is to prevent those providing the assistance being taken to the next stop !

 

[LCC106]

I’ve no knowledge but seem to remember someone previously mention that the dispatcher is supposed to wait for passenger assist to get off the train before starting the procedure.

 

[Caleb2010]

I’ve never been refused assistance with luggage on the train - I’ve been helped to a seat and made sure I was comfortable! Never have I been left at the top of a ramp on a train and left to my own devices! I’m not blind, but vulnerable and need to be beer the accessible loo!

In fact - one of the requests in the new passenger assistance app clearly says ‘Transfer to seat’ - it makes no mention of needing to be of a certain level of disability!



this assistant at Cross Country is being either deliberately obstructive or clearly doesn’t know how and what Passenger assistance is for!

I book all my passenger assistance via the app, it tells you what you need to know, has a space to add comments and all the TOC has to do is basically allocate a person to the task!


https://passengerassistance.com and download the app from there!

 

[AlterEgo]

Some years ago I was on the receiving end of that phone line and don’t recall any provisions that “only blind people” could receive assistance to the seat. I don’t see how that could be fair or proper.

 

[221129]

I’ve no knowledge but seem to remember someone previously mention that the dispatcher is supposed to wait for passenger assist to get off the train before starting the procedure.

All well and good if you know they are on there. Often they don't tell you so you have no idea.

 

[142blue]

Always get people on, right carriage and seat and then contact destination to confirm travel or update in Assist app.
It's finding the balance between providing that helping hand but keeping trains on time