National Rail needs advance warning if you need any assistance from staff on a rail journey.
Ideally they need more than more than 24 hours notice. This is particularly important if your journey includes getting on or off a train at an unstaffed station.
Staff cannot lift disabled passengers or heavy items like mobility scooters. When booking your journey, give as much detail as possible about your needs. For services that offer seat reservations, the local contact person can reserve a seat or wheelchair space for you without charge.
An increasing number of trains have wheelchair accessible toilets. You can find out about the facilities on any train when booking your ticket.
Under the Disability Discrimination Act, train staff must make 'reasonable adjustments' to accommodate disabled passengers. This could include, for example, allowing you to travel in first class on a standard class ticket if the accessible toilet in standard class is out of order
Intercity services
All intercity train services are wheelchair accessible. Access to the train is provided by a ramp kept at the station. Wheelchair accessible sleeper cabins are available on overnight trains between London and Scotland but not on those between London and the West of England.
Local and regional services
Most trains can accommodate wheelchair users
To arrange a train journey in the UK, contact National Rail Enquiries on 0845 7484 950
Travelling to Europe by train
Services operating from St Pancras International in London and Ashford in Kent are fully accessible to wheelchair users. Two wheelchair spaces are available in two first class carriages on each train. Wheelchair users pay the lowest available standard class fare. A companion can also travel with you at a special rate. To find out more call 08705 186 186 or email: sales.enquiries@eurostar.co.uk
London underground
There is information about the accessibility of stations on Transport for London's website.
Last reviewed: June 2010