RSSB2646 - T1117 - Developing Guidance on accessibility for GB rail

The Rail Sustainable Development Principles set out a strategic vision that identifies inclusivity as one of the key tenets to making the GB rail industry a key player in the economy, the environment and wider society. This includes 'accessibility for the less able, elderly and those with children and luggage. This goes beyond step-free access'. Twelve million people, nearly 20% of the population, have a limiting long term illness, impairment or disability, with the fastest growing proportion being those over 75 . The Access for All programme has led to a significant investment in station accessibility over the last decade and is regularly used as a model for access improvements in other countries. However, there is less clarity on how to meet the needs of those with hidden disabilities or those with a cognitive impairment and needs beyond the station at either end of the journey. As examples, previous research conducted by the ORR on the end-to-end passenger experience has found that the first and last miles can be the most stressful for passengers ; while a member of the National Autistic Society explained how planning for a train journey can take an entire day to avoid anxiety (narrative evidence). If this significant and growing part of the population is going to use the railway, the network needs to be accessible to them, yet there is currently little agreed definition of what this means and where investment should be targeted. Further, as people may make a rail journey involving different operators, there is the potential for inconsistency in approach, thereby creating confusion and uncertainty. Currently, while there has been significant progress there is no consistent approach or metrics for the industry. This project seeks to develop guidance on making rail services accessible to those who face barriers to using the railway, along with outline business cases for investment and a structured approach to prioritisation. It will develop proposals to show how progress can best be measured. This project will: i.) Provide insights into the key transport needs of a wide range of disabled customers and customers with reduced mobility along the whole journey and identify priorities that the railway can target to reduce anxiety/increase accessibility and confidence ii.) Identify customer experience metrics to measure accessibility, identify priorities areas for improvement and make recommendations for implementation iii.) Deliver a performance model and guidance that can be used by train and station operators and specifiers to improve accessibility.

The principles objectives of this project are to: • Identify how accessibility to rail services can be improved for customers with access needs due to disability or reduced mobility • Recommend how progress can be measured and the economic benefits of achieving this • Bring together trends and population changes that could pose challenges in the future. The project will be split into four ph