This week Northern pledged to spend £250,000 on improving disabled access on its railways. The Stray Ferret asked one wheelchair user from the district what he thought of the service.
The train operator is asking charities, local authorities and community groups to bid for accessibility improvements to stations in their area.
Andrew Newton from Sharow uses a powered wheelchair after being diagnosed with progressive multiple sclerosis 12 years ago.
Before the pandemic he took trains from Harrogate station once or twice a week.
Mr Newton said customer service was key to improving his journey as he relies on the staff to help him on and off the train.
He said the staff at Harrogate station were “fabulous” and helped him as much as they could but more training could be done with newer staff.
Mr Newton’s experience, he said, could be vastly different depending on customer service:
“Customer service can help cover building inadequacies if there is someone dedicated to helping me it helps my overall experience.”
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He also said the disabled toilets at Harrogate train station needed improving. Currently the size of the cubicle does not allow him to fully turn round meaning the interior door of the cubicle has to be left open.
Mr Newton was keen to say that customer service is “key” and encouraged the train operator to consult with people with disabilities to fix any issues.
Northern’s Accessibility Fund is a first for the UK rail industry. It will be led by the independent Northern Accessibility User Group (NAUG) and supported by Northern.
For bids to be considered, the proposed project or scheme must be scheduled for completion between April 5 2021 and September 30 2022.
