Are announcements and Information available on the train?

All of our trains are fitted with equipment for our conductors to make announcements. Clear announcements are made when there is a disruption, delay or issue that you need to be aware of.

Passengers who are deaf or hard of hearing should ask a member of staff for one-to-one help.

Announcements are made in good time to allow older and disabled passengers to prepare to leave the train.

Our Class 158 trains that operate on long-distance services have information screens displaying calling points and the station the train will stop at next. If no screen is available, our conductors make announcements.

 

Will I always get a seat on a train?

We always do our best to help older and disabled passengers to get a seat. At least one designated priority seat is provided on every train.

You can reserve a priority seat on long-distance train services. You can also reserve a wheelchair space on many of our long-distance train services.

If you have not reserved a priority seat or wheelchair space in advance, they may not be available if another passenger is already using the seat or space or it is reserved for a passenger later on in the journey. If there are no priority seats available, our staff will do their best to help you find a seat elsewhere.

If you have a mobility device such as a walking aid, staff will help you find the most comfortable and convenient place to sit.

 

I am a wheelchair user, is there space for me?

There are two wheelchair spaces on every train (except the single-carriage Class 153, which has one space). We can accommodate wheelchairs with dimensions of up to 700mm x 1200mm (including footplates), with a turning radius of 900mm, and a maximum combined weight (wheelchair and passenger) of 300kg.

Please check the dimensions of your wheelchair to avoid disappointment if they cannot be carried on the train. If you use a powered wheelchair, you can use the ramps without help but staff will supervise. If you use a manual wheelchair, staff can help you if your chair has handles.

You can reserve a wheelchair space, through our assisted travel team, for many of our long-distance train services. Please contact our assisted travel team to find out if you can reserve a wheelchair space for a particular journey.

Please see our ‘Making rail accessible: Helping older and disabled passengers’. This can be found at stations or by contacting our customer relations team or assisted travel team. We will print updated copies of this leaflet at least once a year.

You can contact our assisted travel team before you travel:

You can request an assistance booking in advance - now up to 2 hours before your journey is due to start, any time of the day. You can book further in advance if you prefer.

Please be aware that you can always simply “turn up and go” without booking assistance in advance, or if you have made an online booking that has not yet been confirmed. We'll provide assistance to get you to your destination.

The contact details are:

  • Assisted travel website
  • By phone: call our Passenger Assist team on 03330 050 501. Opening times 24/7 every day but we are closed on Christmas Day.
  • Next Generation Text service: 18001 03330 050 501 Opening times: 24/7 every day (except Christmas Day)

Please note that you cannot reserve a wheelchair or scooter space on the following services:

  • Cardiff and Valleys network
  • Wrexham to Bidston Line
  • Conwy Valley Line
  • Local services between Pembroke Dock and Swansea
  • Local services between Maesteg, Cardiff and Cheltenham Spa

You can reserve a wheelchair space on some trains that go between Holyhead, Manchester and Cardiff, but these services do not have wheelchair-accessible toilets and they have doors that have to be opened manually. The assisted travel team can tell you which trains these are. If the train you want does not have an accessible toilet, the assisted travel team will tell you this when you book and can suggest alternative services for you. For more information on our trains please click here.

If you use a wheelchair, it may not be possible for you to board a train if the wheelchair space is occupied. Passengers who have made reservations for the space are given priority.

 

Can I take my mobility scooter on the train?

Train companies have different rules on carrying scooters so please check before you travel.

We can accommodate scooters of up to 700mm x 1200mm, with a turning radius of 900mm and a combined maximum weight (scooter and passenger) of 300kg.

Please follow the guidance below:

  • Check the dimensions of your scooter to avoid disappointment if it cannot be carried
  • Keep the speed of your scooter to walking pace in and around our stations, including on the platform
  • Stay clear of the platform edge until the train has come to a stop
  • Unload any bags or items from the back of the scooter before going up or down the ramp 
  • Follow instructions from our staff at all times.

If your scooter can be folded into parts, you can carry it on as luggage. You or someone travelling with you must carry it on.

If you are a scooter user, and you are able and comfortable to do so, we will ask you to move from your scooter to a seat, if one is available nearby.

We cannot carry tricycles on our trains or any replacement transport (including taxis), and you cannot use them in our stations, due to their size and design.

We cannot guarantee that alternative accessible transport can be provided for scooters.

 

What support do you have for assistance dog users?

If you have an assistance dog you can get a reusable card to place in the reservation holder on top of the seat next to yours. This is a highly visible card that informs other customers that the space in front of that seat is reserved for an assistance dog.

The cards are free of charge from our customer relations team. For services you can reserve seats on, the assisted Travel team can reserve two seats – one for you and the other for an assistance dog to lie in front of.

Please contact our customer relations team:

Please note that our opening times are 24/7 every day (except Christmas Day and Boxing Day).

 

Are all your trains accessible?

We use several different types of trains. Click here for more information about our fleet.