Recommendation 14

We highlighted our concerns about the impact of the Department’s lack of progress in improving rail services and station infrastructure on various groups of people. For example, disabled passengers, as well as parents with young children, and even the many passengers and tourists carrying luggage who would like to use stations but are restricted, not just because of the condition and limitations of the infrastructure but also because there are not always staff available to operate the ramps and the lifts.29 We heard from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) that partially sighted people feel strongly that they should not have to be experts on knowing who runs which trains or staffs which stations – they consistently report that this makes a difference to their experience. The RNIB told us that staff training, digital and physical infrastructure should be as consistent as possible across the network, without passengers needing to concern themselves with which entities are responsible for different aspects of their journey.30 26 The Inclusive Transport Strategy: Achieving Equal Access for Disabled People, Department for Transport, July 2018 27 Q 58 28 Q 59 29 Q 64 30 RTP0007 12 Rail reform: The rail transformation programme 2 Making progress without legislation Improving outcomes