Source · Select Committees · Transport Committee
Recommendation 25
25
Paragraph: 109
Public transport must be accessible to all.
Conclusion
Public transport must be accessible to all. It is unacceptable that several train companies have consistently failed to meet targets to make their trains fully accessible, despite having had 11 years to do so. In our view, the Department’s response of extending the legal deadline and requiring monthly progress reporting does not treat this matter with the seriousness that it deserves.
Paragraph Reference:
109
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The Department is committed to making sure that trains on the mainline network comply with modern accessibility standards. Around 97 per cent are compliant, which corresponds to nearly 16,000 vehicles. The remaining 3 per cent (525 vehicles over four operators) will be removed from service as soon as possible. Approximately 133 of these vehicles will only be used when coupled to compliant vehicles. The four operators in question are prioritising the use of compliant trains in the timetable and continue to take operational mitigations – such as ensuring that the last train of the day is operated by compliant vehicles and information on accessibility features by class of train is readily available.