The National Travel Survey 2021 found that people with a ‘mobility difficulty’ made on average 2 rail trips per year. Others, without mobility issues, made an average of 14 trips per year (Department for Transport).
What does that usage gap tell us? Essentially it tells us there are millions of people who feel excluded from a transport network many others take for granted. Other research tells us that where people with reduced mobility have access to accessible stations, they use them.
Octavius as an organisation is a massive supporter of rail transport. It offers access to learning, employment and social opportunities, it connects communities, and it’s a vital element in the move to net zero. These benefits should be available to all.
But for many people who live near one of the UK’s 2500+ rail stations, rail travel just seems too difficult and challenging. Simply getting from a drop off point to the platform seems like an obstacle course fraught with risk and inconvenience – if it’s even possible at all.
Fairness And Dignity
Behind the massive investment, clever engineering solutions and efficient project delivery there’s a far more important story. It’s one of fairness and human dignity, where people with disabilities and impaired mobility see convenient rail transport as a right and use it as equals.
But, of course, we’re not quite there yet. Much of the UK’s rail infrastructure was designed and built by Victorians. For every station that has been made accessible there are many others that seem a hostile environment. Around three quarters of UK mainline stations lack step-free access to platforms and 67% of stations have platforms that are too narrow for a wheelchair to turn (Transport for All National Travel Survey 2021).
Just The Start
That’s not to downplay what’s been achieved. Over 200 stations have been upgraded in the main programme to become fully accessible. Hundreds of others have benefitted from improvements under the mid-tier and small schemes. It’s just an acknowledgement of how much there’s still to do.
That’s why everyone at Octavius is dedicated to cost-effective delivery and value engineering. It helps the funding go further and bring the opportunity of accessible rail transport to more people. When it comes to purpose and motivation, that takes a bit of beating.
To discover more about practical solutions presented by AfA projects take a look at our resource centre.
