Department of Transport

Disabled passengers enjoy more widespread access to trains
_______________________________________________________________

date 22 April 1996
source Department of Transport
type Press release

note 118

The vast majority of train operating companies now have trains which
are fully accessible to wheelchair users, said John Watts, Minister
for Railways and Roads.

Commenting on the answer to a Parliamentary Question from Clare Short
(Labour, Birmingham, Ladywood), Mr Watts said:

Good progress has already been made in improving access
to public transport for disabled people, but we recognise
that there is no room for complacency and will continue
to work towards a fully accessible transport system.

The full text of the PQ which lists Train Operating Companies which
operate accessible trains in which wheelchair users are carried in
the passenger saloon is as attached.


CLARE SHORT( LAB, BIRMINGHAM, LADYWOOD):

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on which lines
wheelchair users are required to travel in the guard's van; and if he
will make a statement.

ANSWER

The necessity for wheelchair users to travel in the guard's van is
becoming increasingly rare. The extent to which Train Operating
Companies operate accessible trains in which wheelchair users are
carried in the passenger saloon is as follows:-

Anglia Railway Train Services Ltd All trains used are accessible.

Cardiff Railway Co. Ltd. The company hires one inaccessible
loco-hauled train from a private company. It is used to make one
journey and back from the Valleys to Cardiff on Mondays - Fridays at
peak times. Otherwise the company operates an entirely accessible
fleet of diesel Sprinters and Pacers.

Central Trains Ltd. Central Trains mostly operate accessible modem
electric trains and Sprinters. They have a few inaccessible Electric
Multiple Unit (EMU) trains used on CENTRO (West Midland Passenger
Transport Executive) services in and around Birmingham and on a few
services between Birmingham and Liverpool.

Chiltern Railway Co. All trains used
are accessible.

CrossCounty Trains Ltd. All trains used are
accessible.

Gatwick Express Ltd. All trains are accessible.

Great Eastern Railway Ltd. Operate almost exclusively accessible
modem EMUs but have a few older inaccessible EMUs that mostly operate
only in the Monday - Friday morning and evening peak periods between
Liverpool Street and Clacton.

Great Western Trains Co. Ltd All trains used are
accessible.

InterCity East Coast Ltd All trains used are
accessible.

Intercity WestCoast Ltd All trains used are
accessible.

Island Line Ltd All trains used are
accessible.

LTS Rail Ltd. Currently operate a fleet comprised of
inaccessible older EMUs.

Merseyrail Electrics Ltd All trains used are
accessible.

Midland Main Line Ltd All trains used are
accessible.

Network SouthCentral Ltd. Use modern accessible EMUs on their
suburban routes but have traditional inaccessible "Southern Region"
EMUs on their routes to Brighton, Eastbourne, East Grinstead etc.

North London Railways Ltd. All main services are operated with
modem accessible EMUs. There are just seven inaccessible Diesel
Multiple Unit (DMU) trains used on branch line services between
Bletchley - Bedford, Gospel Oak Barking and Willesden Junction -
Clapham Junction.

North West Regional Railways Ltd. Operate almost entirely with a
modern fleet of accessible diesel Sprinters and Pacers. Trains
between Crewe and Holyhead are formed of old Loco-hauled trains that
have been converted so as to be accessible. Some suburban trains in
and around Greater Manchester are formed of older inaccessible DMUs
and EMUs.

Regional Railways North East Ltd. Operate almost entirely with a
modern fleet of accessible diesel Sprinters and Pacers. Modern
accessible EMUs are used on a local service between Doncaster and
Leeds. Local trains between Leeds/Bradford and Ilkley/Skipton are
operated on behalf of the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport
Executive using older inaccessible EMUs.

ScotRail Railways Ltd. Operate almost entirely with a fleet of
accessible diesel Sprinters and accessible EMUs. Some inaccessible
older DMUs and EMU are used on suburban services in and around
Edinburgh and Glasgow; in the latter on behalf of Strathclyde
Passenger Transport Executive. Last Summer, ScotRail also hired one
inaccessible Loco-hauled train from a private company that was used
for one round trip each day between Inverness and Edinburgh.

South Wales & West Railway Ltd. Operate almost entirely with a
fleet of accessible modern Sprinters. Hire one older inaccessible
Loco-hauled train from a private company which is mostly used in
summer for one round trip between Bristol and Weymouth on a route
that is otherwise served by accessible trains.

South West Trains Ltd. Use modern accessible EMUs on their suburban
routes. Also have modern accessible trains on many services to
Portsmouth, Bournemouth, Weymouth and Exeter, However still also run
some inaccessible older "Southern Region" style EMUs on these routes.

Thameslink All trains used are
accessible.

Thames Trains Ltd All trains used are
accessible.

The South Eastern Train Co Ltd. Use modern accessible EMUs on their
suburban routes but have traditional inaccessible "Southern Region"
EMUs on their routes to Hastings and the Kent Coast.

West Anglia Great Northern Railway Ltd All trains used are
accessible.

Railhub Archive ::: 1996-04-22 DoT-001