Disabled access at preserved railways

I have not seen any mention of Llangollen on this thread which surprises me as they are not usually slow in coming forward.

I have often passed that way and thought about a visit, my main worry is convenient car parking as parking at a distance can be fraught with difficulties for a wheelchair user.
Kerbs and steep gradients can be a nightmare.

I mention this simply because in passing their site seems to be short of parking space and I would love to be told I'm wrong.

Can anyone from Llangollen help with information on this as it's a long way to travel to find no convenient parking.

Cheers Dave

 

Hi Dave.

The car parks are shown on the link below. For special events we quite often hire the Eisteddfod which is 5 minutes from the stn aswell.
http://llangollenrail.llangollen-railway.co.uk/location.html

If you want further info feel free to ring the office on 01978 860979
or e-mail: llangollen.railway @ btinternet.com

Hope this helps.

Jon

 

Thanks for the info lil Bear.

Dave

 

We took my Mum for a trip on the Llangollen the other week. Disabled facilities are excellent

 

The SDR has a new disabled coach nearing completion with plenty of room as well as a buffet which is disable freindly! http://www.southdevonrailway.org/News-a ... Sep25.html

 

The SVR now has a disabled coach with toilet in each MkI set and in the LNER set. The GW Dining car set also contains a toplight brake with the guards and luggage compartment removed to allow passengers to travel comfortably in wheelchairs.

 

GCR disabled access should be improving in the future, plans for a lift and disabled toilet are advanced, and the 4-BIG unit has been converted into a disabled unit, with space for wheelchairs accomodated in the MBSO(D); when the unit comes back into service that should make two carriages in service for disabled passengers.

 

Indeed Peak Rail does have these facilities, here is the link from Peak Rail's web site describing their disabled facilities:-
http://www.peakrail.co.uk/bsod.htm

Also here is the link from their Carraige Dept which gives an excellent description of how they converted a BSO. This site also give links to the Disability Discrimination Act (1995) and info on The Railway Vehicle Accessibility Regulations published in 2000 by the Department for Transport.
http://www.peakrail.co.uk/bsodtech.htm

 

well, we on the S&CR are developing a disables access coach as we speak, our station facilities all cater for wheelchair access however our current service train uses the guards luggage comp as the wheelchair space.

 

Disabled Access at most heritage railways means Wheelchair Access - but what about other forms of disability such as Visual Impairment, or young people with Learning Disabilities or Challenging Behaviour?

 

Plym Valley Railway, Marsh Mills, Plymouth.

To date we have to put disabled people in the luggage section of our Class 117 dmu, which is far from ideal. However with plenty of uniformed train crew on running days, a member of staff stays with the disabled person/group during time on the train and ensuring that they are safely on and off the train via a compliant disabled persons ramp. Car parking is available within 25 feet of the station and is accessable by a short slope. None of our trains will have working toilets because the line will only run for 1.5 miles to Plym Bridge (due for completion by the end of 2010). Good disabled toilet facilities are on the platform at Marsh Mills. Mid summer 2009 will see the DMU withdrawn and a two coach rake of Mk 2 coaches come into service. The disabled will be travelling in a converted parcels area of a Mk 2 BFK that for the last ten years has been running on the Bodmin and Wenford. This has now been replaced by a converted Mk 1 BSK in line with all their coaching stock being Mk 1's. The Mk 2 was converted by a Plymouth based disabled charity called Train Restoration Opportunities for the Disabled (TROD). So in January this year, this coach has finally come home to the local railway on which these guys wanted it to run. It might seem a little over the top for a short run, but its something that we have to have. Each summer the railway plays host to a group of children from Chernobyl and the delight that they get from being spoilt for a few hours is guaranteed to bring tears to the eyes. Those less fortunate than ourselves also have a right to see, hear and enjoy railways too, even if they cannot do so as well as we can.

 

Hello,

not quite a railway but a tramway museum with wheelchair access it Crich Tramway Village, see http://www.tramway.co.uk.

One tramcar has been equipped with a wheelchair lift and four spaces for wheelchairs. This is a 1969-built four-wheeler from Berlin, Germany. Not exactly typical for UK practice but it serves the purpose. Most, if not all volunteer crews are trained to operate the car and it is brought out on request, if possible at short notice. Most of the museum site is accessible for wheelchairs although some ramps are a bit on the steep side. Some granite setts have been replaced by wooden blocks to provide smoother paths. One wheelchair-accessible toilet is available.

Kind regards

Christoph

 

Don't know if it been disguised any where else, but what are disabled passenger looking for, as opposed to what do we provide for them.

I mean I have a small amount of experience of the various ranges of difficulties as I have a disabled little sister but I would like to know what people would want facilities and experience wise in an ideal world.

 

The main criteria would probably be ease of access. By their nature railways were often built in some awkward places with lots of steps etc. Eliminating many of thse obsticles isn't possible, but trying to provide a safe alternative to fit in with current regulations is what we all have to strive to. Easy access to sites, stations and on and off trains, disabled toilet facilities, wheelchair friendly shops, cafes, museums. Some areas are easier to adapt than others. The disabled appear to be a small part of society, but we must not discriminate against them or any others for that matter. [-X

 

A good question. Trouble is there are a range of "disabilities" to deal with.

My own experience is wholly with Matt, my 38 year old son. Matt is wheelchair-bound. By that I mean he has to remain in his wheelchair when out and about. Matt always has a "helper" with him. His wheelchair is not motorised, is a standard width, but is specialised, and at 5ft the wheelchair is a bit longer than most. When visiting railways we find the following items very difficult or impossible to use:

- deep gravel pathways
- steps of any kind
- narrow doorways of any kind
- narrow passageways in shops, museums, trains

What we like is the ability to do what everyone else can do, within reason.

We don't like being shunted into the brake van, and although we quite understand that is the only option sometimes, it is not usually a very nice experience, being cold; draughty; sometimes dirty; sometimes downright dangerous if bikes, empty pushchairs, and various items of railway kit start sliding around; often lacking in a view of the passing countryside; or lack of comfortable seating for the helper(s); no toilet facilities; no opportunity to buy food or drink and sit at a table to enjoy the purchases.

Some heritage railways offer discounts for us. This is very welcome. But not at the expense of a reasonably normal experience, which is why we come along to a heritage railway in the first place.

I'm painting a black picture, and I do accept that we cannot expect the same experience as most passengers, especially given the purpose of a heritage railway is to show what it was like. But thankfully most of the heritage railways we visit provide good, very good or excellent facilities for us.

Steve

 

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These are the comments that should be noted, from people that have experience. I hope that ALL railways take suitable notice.

 

The East Hayling Light Railway (aka the Hayling Seaside Railway) has full disabled access to its' trains. All bogie coaches (built 2004 - 2006) have doors wide enough to fit standard wheel chairs, and all platforms have ramps. At one time, we were carrying mobility scooters when South West Trains had banned them!

The details of the exemption order for the coaches can be found here http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2002/20020285.htm. Coach type A and B have been sold on, and only type C an E have been built.

 

At the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway, Wirksworth and Idridgehay stations are fine for disabled people. Ravenstor at the top of the incline can be accessed fine by train but has a strong natural gradient to exit the station. There are disabled facilities at the stations.

In terms of the rolling stock, we mainly use DMU vehicles and obviously disabled people can be accommodated in the Guards areas but we don't like people to feel excluded. So, with this in mind, when M79900 "Iris" and Class 101 DMBS M51188 were completely restored, an extra wide doorway was fitted between the Guards Van and the saloon and some seats were missed out so that the saloon can take one wheelchair on each journey.

The railway doesn't usually ask for prior notification of a visit.

 

The Kent & East Sussex Railway has disabled access. We also have our own disabled coack called 'Petros'. This runs on the A-set, which is the 10:40, 13:15 and 15:30 departures from Tenterden Town. The last journey from Bodiam with this coach is 16:30, this is the last train of the day on the railway on Normal Operating dates, see website for further details on operating dates at www.kesr.org.uk.

 

Don't forget Calan, that is always providing that the A set isn't the Vintage set. While there is a method of gaining wheelchair access to that too, it does not provide the full facilities that Petros provides.

Incidentally, if you are coming to the KESR, and need wheelchair facilities, feel free to contact the railway in advance. We are always happy to help with any assistance required, (in fact, any passing member of staff is usually only to happy to help, even if it means putting off what they were doing!). We are very aware, as an organization, that disabled visitors sometimes get a second-class experience elsewhere, and we try to make our railway as accessible as possible. Besides the coaches, there is a ramp into the buffet, and a special dedicated disabled toilet. In addition, our shop has double doors, and the second door can be opened to allow access.

To give you one example, a group of senior gentlemen with dementia recently visited the railway on a non-running day. They had been brought by their driver, who knew of the railway. They were amazed to be told they could have free run of all our facilities, and were most stunned when we suggested they eat their packed lunches on the benches outside our buffet! It doesn't take any effort to show a bit of understanding, and given that it was the day before our gala, and we were rushing around setting up, it was a nice change of pace to be able to make them welcome!