The Scottish Government

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CHAPTER FOUR: AVAILABILITY OF RAIL ACCESSIBILITY INFORMATION

Introduction

4.1 This chapter describes how much of the required accessibility information is readily available for the rail network. Only the information pertinent to this mode and its associated features is discussed.

Scottish Rail Services

4.2 For the purposes of this study, rail infrastructure was defined as the passenger rolling stock (trains) and passenger stations. First ScotRail runs the passenger rail franchise for Scotland and is the main rail provider, operating 95% of passenger services. First is responsible for maintaining all Scottish rail stations, which are owned by Network Rail.

4.3 It is worth noting Virgin are an important operator on the East Coast Line and provide the only service between Glasgow / Edinburgh and Lockerbie. All trains on this route are DDA (1995) compliant.

Rail station infrastructure - data available

4.4 The Association of Train Operating Companies ( ATOC) co-ordinates the collection of station audit information on behalf of all train operating companies. Information relating to station facilities is provided by each train operating company ( TOC) to ATOC and loaded onto the National Rail Enquiries website at http://www.nationalrail.co.uk. Transport Direct currently has a link to this website which contains a station information page.

4.5 The station information page has been live since October 2004 and contains a number of statutory and voluntary data fields relating to the accessibility of all national rail stations. Annex 3 (Station Information) includes an example of the information provided for Edinburgh Waverley rail station. The many features reported on include the following facilities, information on which is essential to journey decisions made by disabled people:

• Staff assistance available
• Visual and Audible Announcements (accessible announcements and departure boards)
• Presence of disabled toilets
• Link to Train Taxi website (provides details on taxis serving different rail stations)
• Accessibility of platforms for wheelchair users
• Presence of tactile paving at platform edges
• Low level / accessible booking counter
• Induction loop
• Telephones

4.6 The Strategic Rail Authority ( SRA) has made it a duty for each TOC to provide data on many of the fields contained in the station information page. In many cases, the train operating companies are providing additional information voluntarily.

4.7 Facilities not currently reported on which, according to the findings of this study and previous research, disabled people consider important to have information on prior to travelling, include:

• Gap between train and platform
• Glare free / minimised surfaces
• Lighting levels
• Presence of a shelter
• Type of shelter (glass / non see through material)
• Whether shelter is illuminated

4.8 Discussions with ATOC have confirmed that it would be relatively simple to add additional information to the existing data structure, with the exception of the size of the gap between train and platform - something that depends on a number of variables which change depending on where a train stops and which vehicle is used.

4.9 The pertinent issue is whether or not the information on other facilities, such as shelters and use of glare free services, is already held by the relevant train operating company from previous audits. If the additional information relates to facilities not previously audited then each station may need to be audited again in order to collect this information.

4.10 First ScotRail have recently commissioned a full audit of their rolling stock and station facilities and this was completed by Atkins Rail at the end of March 2005. Our understanding of the data collected is that approximately 90% of the information sought by disabled people could be extracted from the recent audit photographs. The cost of collecting this information would be based on paying an individual to carry out a desktop exercise and check through the photographs of each station's facilities. There are approximately 336 First ScotRail train stations.

Passenger rolling stock - data available

4.11 First ScotRail provide around 95% of the passenger train services in Scotland plus the Anglo-Scottish Caledonian Sleepers linking Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Inverness and Fort William with London. Virgin and Great North Eastern Railway ( GNER) also run some services with stops in Scotland.

4.12 In terms of accessibility, the rolling stock of trains in Scotland is generally very good. The oldest trains were built in the late 1970's but the majority of the fleet has been built since the 1990's. The average life time of a train unit is 35 years and within this period units will undergo refurbishment. With the use of ramps, all ScotRail trains are accessible to people with mobility difficulties and wheelchair users.

4.13 In terms of on-board facilities, the situation is not as good. Only certain classes of trains have accessible toilets and not all of these comply with the Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations ( RVAR) ⁶. However, First ScotRail's Disabled Persons Protection Policy, published in October 2004, contains an appendix listing all rolling stock showing compliance or exceptions to the RVAR and the normal routes on which the rolling stock operates. This document can be downloaded from the website at www.firstgroup.com/scotrail/content/pdfs/DPPP.pdf or requested free of charge from customer services.

4.14 All trains built after 1999 have to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act and out of a total fleet of 242 units, ScotRail has taken delivery of 66 new trains since this date. Forty of these new trains are the Class 334 Juniper units, which were the first fully accessible trains in the UK.

Table 4.1 - Train unit stock - First ScotRail

Source: First ScotRail, March 2005

Summary of rail data available

4.15 In summary, the advance accessibility information available for rail travel is very good. The majority of essential pre-travel information required by disabled people can be found on the National Rail Enquiries and First ScotRail websites or by using the main journey planning services.

4.16 The main weakness is that this information is not particularly easy to find for users unfamiliar with the internet.

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