Wheelchairs users
Wheelchairs are welcome on our services providing they are no wider than 700mm and no longer than 1200mm. The maximum weight is limited by:
- The capabilities of the individual member of staff assisting the passenger
- The stated maximum safe working load of the ramp (between 230kg and 300kg depending on the type of ramp).
Reserving wheelchair spaces
Reservations are available to wheelchair users on all our mainline services that have designated wheelchair spaces and/or priority seats. Reservations are not available on some of our London area services because many of these services do not have reservable wheelchair spaces. However, most of these London area trains are extremely frequent and have large vestibule areas that can accommodate a number of wheelchair users.
Should you wish to travel on a service where reservations are unavailable, staff assisting you will endeavour to secure you a seat. However, our employees do have have the authority to compel a non-disabled passenger to give up their seat if they refuse to do so.
Powered scooters
Powered scooters are designed for the about town environment and come in different shapes and sizes, making many of them unsuitable for rail travel. A number of problems can affect scooters on trains, including:
- The scooter is not manoeuvrable enough to either get onto or move through a train easily
- The scooter tips over backwards when going up the ramp onto the train
- The scooter exceeds the safe-working load of the ramp when carrying its user.
Scooter Card
To bring a scooter on our services, passengers must own a vehicle that meets our standards of manoeuvrability, size and stability. We therefore require scooter users to send in details of their scooter so they can be assessed. A permit to travel, known as a Scooter Card, can be issued. For safety reasons, only passengers who hold a Scooter Card will be allowed to bring scooters onto our services. If you would like to apply for a Scooter Card, please contact our Customer Service Centre.
