All Aboard Accessibility: Try a Train Event with Merseyside SLC and Avanti West Coast
Tuesday 30 September 9:30am - 3:30pm
Liverpool Lime Street Station, Lime Street, Liverpool L1 1JD
Merseyside Sight Loss Council has partnered with Avanti West Coast to offer a unique Try a Train experience on Tuesday 30 September 2025.
The day will begin at Liverpool Lime Street station at 9:30am, where delegates will board an Avanti West Coast service to Crewe. Furthermore, once there, they will visit the Avanti Training Academy to explore a disused train carriage. This offers a unique opportunity to become familiar with the interior layout in a calm, controlled environment.
North West Engagement Manager, Kelly stands beside a disused Avanti West Coast train
This free event is designed to help you gain the skills, knowledge, and confidence you need to travel independently.
Kelly Barton, Engagement Manager for the North West at Sight Loss Councils, said:
“We are really pleased about this new partnership with Avanti West Coast – it’s a fantastic opportunity for blind and partially sighted people to gain confidence in train travel and we’re really looking forward to welcoming you to this event.
“We know how important public transport is for blind and partially sighted people regardless of whether it’s travel to work, visiting family or for social activities. But we also know that there are still so many people who are reluctant to get on a train, because of a lack of confidence and sometimes accessibility. We hope this event will help people feel more confident and empowered to travel by train in the future.”
Merseyside Sight Loss Council member Mike Wright added:
“Try a Train offers the opportunity for blind and partially sighted people who don’t feel confident with train travel to familiarise themselves with trains and all that is involved, in a safe, controlled environment.
“Typically, the type of people who might benefit from the experience could be either someone who is at the start of their sight loss journey, or a person who has had a previous bad experience that has caused them to lose confidence when it comes to travelling by rail.”
Holly Hardy-Johnson, Learning and development Trainer at Avanti West Coast, added:
“It’s our mission is to be the transport of choice, connecting our customers and communities along the west coast. Part of this, is that we ensure that we deliver accessibility training to every member of front line staff when they join us during orientation. By hosting the Try the Train day it gives us a refreshed look on how best to support all our customers and aligns our vision to set a new standard of customer experience.
During the day we hope to help each individual experience the possibilities of travel on the West Coast Main Line and how we are passionate about wanting everyone to be able to experience the railway.”
Event details
- Date/ time: Tuesday 30 September 2025, 9:30am – 3:30pm (book your place by 5pm on Monday 29 September
- Location: Liverpool Lime Street Station, Lime Street, Liverpool L1 1JD
- Cost: Free (includes lunch and refreshments)
- Spaces: Limited to six participants. Booking is essential as we will allocate places on a first-come, first-served basis
Sighted guides will be available throughout the day. Additionally, whether you’ve never travelled by train before or simply want to rebuild your confidence, this is the perfect opportunity to try it in a friendly, supportive environment.