Passenger Assists data highest ever

[Snow1964]

New data from ORR shows highest ever (table goes back 11 years) for passenger assists of 633,494 for first four 4week periods of the year. grapg suggests it was typically 300,000 to 400,000 2012-2019

Some big increases for some Operators compared to previous year, eg SWR up 126% (2.26 times year before), Greater Anglia up 97%, GoVia Thameslink up 89%, Southeastern up 72%

https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/media/zsmmemtt/assists-factsheet-2023-24-rail-periods-1-4.pdf

In rail periods 1 to 4 (1 April 2023 to 22 July 2023), passenger assists and bookings increased compared with the same rail periods in the previous year.

They were both at the highest level recorded since the time series began in 2012.

There were 633,494 passenger assists requested during rail periods 1 to 4, up 44% on the same rail periods in the previous year.

There were 197,839 passenger bookings made during rail periods 1 to 4, up 43% on the same rail periods in the previous year.

Anyone got any thoughts on why it is going up so much, especially with more stations becoming accessible, or is it due to lack of accessibility between train and platform.

Can't be passenger numbers as it is 1.5 to 2 times the 2012-2019 rate, so not a post covid rebound.

 

[TSG]

I have no idea how those figures are compiled but a jump like that looks like recording. Maybe some staff have gone from ‘can’t be arsed to record it because it doesn’t benefit me’ to ‘this helps to justify my continued employment so I’ll get it on the books’. Maybe some TOCs have a better recording system in place now?

 

[TUC]

It could be factors such as the Passenger Assist app making requests easier.

It is also important to remember that assistance requirements are not just about whether stations are accessible. Disability is not just about wheelchairs.

 

[43066]

Perhaps not surprising when you consider that we have an ageing, overweight and sedentary population.

 

[TUC]

Perhaps not surprising when you consider that we have an ageing, overweight and sedentary population.

Being overweight, or you that usually sit around all day, is no reason for needing assistance

 

[43066]

Being overweight, or you that usually sit around all day, is no reason for needing assistance

Being overweight and sedentary are risk factors for mobility problems, especially as we age. The fact people don’t seem to be aware of that is staggering, and part of the reason why the NHS is in such a mess.

More people than ever before are also having to wait for operations; that will also be having a knock on effect on assistance requests.

 

[TUC]

Being overweight and sedentary are risk factors for mobility problems, especially as we age. The fact people don’t seem to be aware of that is staggering, and part of the reason why the NHS is in such a mess.

More people than ever before are also having to wait for operations; that will also be having a knock on effect on assistance requests.

They certainly are risk factors. They're not a reason for needing assistance in themselves.

 

[lkpridgeon]

It is a lot easier to book assistance now (even though it often doesn't materialise) and there's been a big industry wide push over the last 18 months around pre-booked official assistance after a series of high profile incidents involving wheelchair users frequently missing their stops (with some cases hitting the media and national news).

Guards now have access to tools that allow for logging in-person turn up and go assistance requests, it's also now logged if they call control to arrange help at the destination/interchange point.

There's also an element of passengers that used to rely on receiving unbooked assistance from a guard/member of staff upon arrival now booking in advance.

 

[Route115?]

Fewer commuters very few of which will need assistance and more leisure travellers.

 

[jayah]

Guards now have access to tools that allow for logging in-person turn up and go assistance requests, it's also now logged if they call control to arrange help at the destination/interchange point.

There's also an element of passengers that used to rely on receiving unbooked assistance from a guard/member of staff upon arrival now booking in advance.

I have just watched a train with 2 Train Managers and 2 First Class hosts arrive at a station with 2 despatch staff.

4 minutes of delay departing, as the wheelchair ramp has not even been taken out of its holder, when the train arrived, let alone taken to where it was needed (First Class).

Whatever apps and so on they have nowadays, the process is as uncertain as ever.

 

[lkpridgeon]

I have just watched a train with 2 Train Managers and 2 First Class hosts arrive at a station with 2 despatch staff.

4 minutes of delay departing, as the wheelchair ramp has not even been taken out of its holder, when the train arrived, let alone taken to where it was needed (First Class).

Whatever apps and so on they have nowadays, the process is as uncertain as ever.

Oh yeah, as I said: "even though it often doesn't materialise". At the moment the Passenger Asssit app is a way for the industry to get data on the extent of the accessibility problem by building a dataset on things such as % requests that fail and common points of failure. This data is then being used by some operators to change policies and investigate local issues. It's not (in it's current iteration) actually solving the problem unfortunately... Baby steps I suppose.

 

[Mojo]

I have no idea how those figures are compiled but a jump like that looks like recording. Maybe some staff have gone from ‘can’t be arsed to record it because it doesn’t benefit me’ to ‘this helps to justify my continued employment so I’ll get it on the books’. Maybe some TOCs have a better recording system in place now?

I would agree with the majority of the increase being about recording, when I did mobility assistance as a job we would have a list of pre-booked assists generated at the start of the day, but a significant number were just people that turned up on the day, we wouldn't record these anywhere just the local supervisor would ask for any staff member who was free to assist and once accompanied onto the train we would telephone the destination station to tell them details of the customer. AIUI journeys must now also be logged digitally in an attempt to give better oversight.

Having said that, there is definitely an increase, and one which I would speculate largely down to the reasons given by @43066 in his post above. But I also wonder whether increased deployment of gatelines and also challenges with station parking has put people off people who formerly would have seen off elderly or disabled family/friends.

Customer mobility assistance is now seemingly becoming an industry in its own right, especially at stations served by long-distance Tocs. Go to somewhere like Kings Cross and you will see hordes of staff devoted to mobility assistance; it wouldn't surprise me if they actually recruited more people at some stations to do that than are actually involved with the running of the trains. The growing number also means it is often impractical to have staff conduct mobility assistance alongside other roles; whilst it was once commonplace for ticket office staff or dispatchers to put down the ramp or help carry luggage and indeed this does still happen, it seems more common that staff are now devoted to this task. A Toc where a family member works has recently taken on a number of mobile staff who just roam around the stations in their area, often travelling with customers to assist them at both ends.

 

[SCDR_WMR]

It could be factors such as the Passenger Assist app making requests easier.

It is also important to remember that assistance requirements are not just about whether stations are accessible. Disability is not just about wheelchairs.

I would agree with this. Plus it allows staff to add TUAG assists that previously they would just deal with themselves when it's a very short journey or can't get through to the station on the phone.

I would say I'm far more aware of the different types of assist now compared to years gone by, as you say, it's not just wheelchair users or VIP.

 

[43066]

They certainly are risk factors. They're not a reason for needing assistance in themselves.

But if more people are overweight/sedentary you will find a greater incidence of mobility issues across the population. I’m suggesting that, along with more people waiting for operations (don’t forget the NHS basically did nothing but Covid for a long period), and the ageing population might well partly account for the increase in assistance requests.

Customer mobility assistance is now seemingly becoming an industry in its own right, especially at stations served by long-distance Tocs. Go to somewhere like Kings Cross and you will see hordes of staff devoted to mobility assistance; it wouldn't surprise me if they actually recruited more people at some stations to do that than are actually involved with the running of the trains. The growing number also means it is often impractical to have staff conduct mobility assistance alongside other roles; whilst it was once commonplace for ticket office staff or dispatchers to put down the ramp or help carry luggage and indeed this does still happen, it seems more common that staff are now devoted to this task. A Toc where a family member works has recently taken on a number of mobile staff who just roam around the stations in their area, often travelling with customers to assist them at both ends.

That’s probably no bad thing. Historically it probably hasn’t been given the priority it deserves.

 

[ComUtoR]

A Toc where a family member works has recently taken on a number of mobile staff who just roam around the stations in their area, often travelling with customers to assist them at both ends.

Sounds familiar...

 

[GusB]

I wonder if the increase in assistance requests is also a result of increased awareness of its existence. Recent documentary series, such as those focussing on Paddington and Glasgow Central, have featured the assistance teams on a number of occasions. That, coupled with reading this forum, has certainly increased my own awareness of its availability.

 

[Adrian1980uk]

Also in Greater Anglias case, level boarding on the new trains makes it a practical proposition/ encourage use if you have mobility issues.

 

[TEW]

I'd imagine the Passenger Assist app is part of it. Previously staff would assist turn up and go passengers, call ahead to the destination and they would assist there, but AFAIK that often wouldn't be recorded. That journey will now be logged in the Passenger Assist app too and the information is now recorded. Staff are strongly encouraged to record all assistance in the app too.

 

[Horizon22]

This is definitely a matter of better recording of data, but I imagine as more stations become step-free and there is better awareness across the board on training, passenger rights, access etc. (don't read into this me saying it's near perfect!) that there is also slightly more confidence for those requiring assistance to make journeys than before.

But if more people are overweight/sedentary you will find a greater incidence of mobility issues across the population. I’m suggesting that, along with more people waiting for operations (don’t forget the NHS basically did nothing but Covid for a long period), and the ageing population might well partly account for the increase in assistance requests.

Thats probably a miniscule % considering how many of those people actually take trains. But of course an ageing & less healthy population will always lead to greater assistance needs across all parts of society.

 

[danbarjon]

It could be factors such as the Passenger Assist app making requests easier.

It is also important to remember that assistance requirements are not just about whether stations are accessible. Disability is not just about wheelchairs.

I do agree personally the passenger assist app has made my life so much more easier.

 

[Kumquat]

The app and advertising for Passenger Assistance have surely led to more uptake of the service as well as better recording. Also, as more stations become step-free etc, people who would previously have never used a train because of disability can now consider it.

A couple friends of mine use wheelchairs for any day that isn't mostly sitting, and have tried taking them on the train in the last couple years rather than being met with someone with a hired chair at the destination. Mixed success with passenger assistance on both trains and planes.

 

[mrg9999]

Why is it so difficult to move a train in a railway station by a few feet to accommodate a wheelchair?

I think an answer is possibly
More wheelchair spaces
Allow enough space between (some) seat rows to move a wheel chair between carriages
A wheelchair lift what could be small dimensions than the ramp.

 

[railfan99]

Being overweight and sedentary are risk factors for mobility problems, especially as we age. The fact people don’t seem to be aware of that is staggering, and part of the reason why the NHS is in such a mess.

More people than ever before are also having to wait for operations; that will also be having a knock on effect on assistance requests.

All Western societies are ageing, much of it due to low birthrates, usually below replacement levels.

In theory, migration should lower the median age, but given aged parents are often (eventually) admitted to most Western countries, it doesn't by as much as one would think.

I reckon many ageing people are aware of the link, but privately believe losing weight/exercising is 'too hard' or a tradeoff for a less pleasurable life. They'll also quote friends who 'were fit, but departed at age 50' as a justification, though these tend to be outliers.

That health networks cannot cope with demand for operations is not restricted to the UK's NHS. It is only partly explained by COVID-19.

In the 20 years to 2021, the UK median age rose 2.8 years to 40.7 years. This doesn't sound much but given it's the 'midpoint', it's a significant jump.

Inevitably, there will be a rise in assistance requests at railway stations. However on my recent trip to UK (7 to 30 September 2023 inclusive), it was pleasing to see many stations have lifts. Some looked to be recent installations. IIRC there was only one instance of a lift being inoperable: excellent. A few stations such as Hexham on the wonderfully scenic Newcastle (England!) to Carlisle line only had a footbridge.

 

[LowLevel]

Why is it so difficult to move a train in a railway station by a few feet to accommodate a wheelchair?

I think an answer is possibly
More wheelchair spaces
Allow enough space between (some) seat rows to move a wheel chair between carriages
A wheelchair lift what could be small dimensions than the ramp.

It isn't, really, provided everyone is there to do it in a controlled manner - but it does introduce additional risk when people see the train moving when they're not expecting it to before time and start flinging themselves at it, or they're on board waiting for someone and think the train is going without them etc. You can make announcements but in the era of being plugged into earphones there's no guarantee people will pay any attention.

I've arranged it myself at Norwich before as the canopy pillars can be a problem on some platforms there and it is a simple thing to do - but even then trying to get the doors shut while people are trying to board and so on is quite tricky.

The actual process just requires the driver to call the signaller for authority to move where required and for someone whether it's station staff for a DOO train or the guard for a crew worked train to control the movement.

 

[mrg9999]

It isn't, really, provided everyone is there to do it in a controlled manner - but it does introduce additional risk when people see the train moving when they're not expecting it to before time and start flinging themselves at it, or they're on board waiting for someone and think the train is going without them etc. You can make announcements but in the era of being plugged into earphones there's no guarantee people will pay any attention.

I've arranged it myself at Norwich before as the canopy pillars can be a problem on some platforms there and it is a simple thing to do - but even then trying to get the doors shut while people are trying to board and so on is quite tricky.

The actual process just requires the driver to call the signaller for authority to move where required and for someone whether it's station staff for a DOO train or the guard for a crew worked train to control the movement.

Often at Waterloo the train moves to (un)couple. An announcement is made for passengers outside to wait and inside to hold on and still people fall over and blame everyone else.

 

[trainophile]

Is passenger assist on a no refusal, no need to have anything wrong with you, basis? I've noticed recently a few times middle aged women who appear perfectly mobile striding along the platform alongside a uniformed station operative who is wheeling their (usually oversized) 8-wheeled case for them. They then lift the case onto the train and accompany said ladies to a suitable seat.

I thought it was a rule that you shouldn't travel with luggage that you can't manage yourself, I've seen notices to that effect on various trains and at stations. Obviously wheelchair-bound and genuinely disabled/elderly people might require assistance, and rightly they can get it provided, but people who have just brought too much luggage and expect someone else to deal with it doesn't seem to be in the spirit of the thing.

 

[SCDR_WMR]

Is passenger assist on a no refusal, no need to have anything wrong with you, basis? I've noticed recently a few times middle aged women who appear perfectly mobile striding along the platform alongside a uniformed station operative who is wheeling their (usually oversized) 8-wheeled case for them. They then lift the case onto the train and accompany said ladies to a suitable seat.

I thought it was a rule that you shouldn't travel with luggage that you can't manage yourself, I've seen notices to that effect on various trains and at stations. Obviously wheelchair-bound and genuinely disabled/elderly people might require assistance, and rightly they can get it provided, but people who have just brought too much luggage and expect someone else to deal with it doesn't seem to be in the spirit of the thing.

Remember, not all disabilities are visible.

Also, some people have problems with the steeping on/off of trains without baggage, no issue with having assistance to help with that. It's fairly common.

Sounds like you just don't like people being assisted unless they're in a wheelchair to be honest

 

[js1000]

New data from ORR shows highest ever (table goes back 11 years) for passenger assists of 633,494 for first four 4week periods of the year. grapg suggests it was typically 300,000 to 400,000 2012-2019

Some big increases for some Operators compared to previous year, eg SWR up 126% (2.26 times year before), Greater Anglia up 97%, GoVia Thameslink up 89%, Southeastern up 72%

https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/media/zsmmemtt/assists-factsheet-2023-24-rail-periods-1-4.pdf

Anyone got any thoughts on why it is going up so much, especially with more stations becoming accessible, or is it due to lack of accessibility between train and platform.

Can't be passenger numbers as it is 1.5 to 2 times the 2012-2019 rate, so not a post covid rebound.

Aging population? Increasing obesity? The general trend for passenger assistance will continue to increase.

 

[al78]

Perhaps not surprising when you consider that we have an ageing, overweight and sedentary population.

Knock-on effects from COVID? At my bridge club there seems to have been a substantial increase in the fragility of the membership in general over the last few years, which is one reason the clubhouse sessions never came back to pre-COVID levels and members have stayed online. On a national scale there may be a subset of the population still suffering from long COVID symptoms.

 

[The exile]

But I also wonder whether increased deployment of gatelines and also challenges with station parking has put people off people who formerly would have seen off elderly or disabled family/friends.

Would second this from the “see-er off” perspective.