How accessible are the new Merseyrail trains?

Two people examine the electric sockets in the wheelchair area of a train carriage, a man in a high-vis vest is standing byMerseyrail invited Merseyside Sight Loss Council members on an exclusive tour of their new trains. The trains come with improved accessibility features and are set to replace the near 40-year-old fleet currently running on the network – one of the oldest in the UK.

The Merseytravel team listened to the SLC members’ observations and concerns, answered all their questions, and were highly positive about the real-life input and experience of the blind and partially sighted members of Merseyside SLC.

Our feedback

SLC member Jules thought that the new trains were more accessible and provided more space for assistance dogs to pass through the carriages; they said:

“The new trains have much clearer and bigger destination signage on the outside of each carriage, making it much easier for partially sighted commuters to get the right train. The accessible new trains are a game-changer, plates that span the gap between the platform edge and train will make it so much safer to travel independently.”

 

Meanwhile, SLC member Naomi thought that the step-free access was much improved and made boarding the train much more accessible; she commented that:

“I thought the step-free access was really good and made boarding the train much easier.”

 

A group of people inside a train, some are guide dog users, some are wearing high-vis vests.

Merseyside Sight Loss Council would like to thank David Powell and the Merseytravel team for the detailed and descriptive tour on the day.

If you would like to join the Merseyside Sight Loss Council team, you can! Visit our page to find out more.

Find out more here

 

Merseyside VI Forum: Life After Lockdown

Merseyside Sight Loss Council is holding a VI Forum on Friday, 17 September, to talk about life after lockdown and the support and services that exist to help blind and partially sighted people. Join us either in person or virtually via Zoom!

Sign up here

 

 

 

 

 

Publication date: 13 September 2021

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