3 replies to this topic

[robbo100bike]

I havent commutted by train since i were 18 and thats a few year back now and i was AB then.

Now i have been on trains using my wheelchair but this has been a handful of times for leisure. But 2moro i am going to try commutting by train from Leeds to Peterborough on the East Coast Main line. I am quite excited about it too but will be interesting to see how it compares to driving. So far i have booked the tickets online with the option to print them myself which seems useful. I selected assitance, entered some basic info and a representative from the railway contacted me to discuss how best to help.

I am using a manual chair so have asked for ramp onto train. But have said i would prefer to sit in a proper train seat rather than stay in my chair and get buffeted around. This means my chair will need to be stowed in a luggage rack (?) or in the guards carriage. Weirdly they seem to have seated me about 5 carriages away from the guards so not sure how that will work!!

We shall see 2mo......

[manoo]

 robbo100bike, on 15 December 2011 - 01:40 PM, said:

I havent commutted by train since i were 18 and thats a few year back now and i was AB then.

Now i have been on trains using my wheelchair but this has been a handful of times for leisure. But 2moro i am going to try commutting by train from Leeds to Peterborough on the East Coast Main line. I am quite excited about it too but will be interesting to see how it compares to driving. So far i have booked the tickets online with the option to print them myself which seems useful. I selected assitance, entered some basic info and a representative from the railway contacted me to discuss how best to help.

I am using a manual chair so have asked for ramp onto train. But have said i would prefer to sit in a proper train seat rather than stay in my chair and get buffeted around. This means my chair will need to be stowed in a luggage rack (?) or in the guards carriage. Weirdly they seem to have seated me about 5 carriages away from the guards so not sure how that will work!!

We shall see 2mo......

[manoo]

Hi

I recently traveled to london from norwich on the train, it was my first train outing since my injury two years ago. I booked online with assistance included. Me and my wife turned up about 20minutes before the departure time feeling aprehensive, we need not have woried. The trip there and back was like a military exercise everythng was laid on for us it was brilliant. National Express we thank you. PS the same outward journey one hour earlier was cancelled, PHEWwwwwwwww

[robbo100bike]

I have been doing the commutte with east coast for a few week now. On the whole its very positive and staff are extremely helpful. However the assistance isnt very reliable unless you are very proactive in prompting them at every opportunity. Many occasions ramps havent arrived and on early mornings its sometimes hard to located staff. I am lucky in that i can stand / step on or off the train and then lift the chair on or off. It takes a little exertion, so if the ramp is offered its easier to take it.

I got fed up booking assistance everyday, i felt it was fine for the odd trip but when you are doing it day in day out it does became a pain in the wotsit. You either book and then you get a call back and have to go thro times/dates and what you need. Or you can cut/paste travel info on an email. As i say for an odd trip no real hardship but is a pain as a commutter. Also i found you had to tell them in person all this information again at each trip.

I therefore got complacent one morning and arrived minutes beforetrain was due to depart. I was at the open door of the train and about to hop on unassisted when one of the platform staff stopped me. I thought she was gouing to help but instead she refused to let me get on "wheelchairs have to be here 5minutes before departure". By time i managed to get a word in and explain i didnt need the ramp etc. The guard had blew the whistle and i missed the train. To add insult my ticket was only valid for that service!!! I have a complaint pending with the train company. Admittedly i was running late but i would have boarded unassisted in ten secs flat, before the guards whistle and there was no safety issue.

These days if the ramp is offered i will use it but if in doubt i get on or off unassisted. I tend to try and prompt the guard to arrange an off ramp because it can be abit fraught trying to get off the train when there are 20 commutters trying to get on!! They will quite literally climb over you and use the wheelchair ramp as theirs!! They even barged a blind gentleman out the way one morning.

If someone is wanting to use the train it definetly has its benefits. If you are reliant on ramps or any other assistance i would recommend pre booking or seeking staff help at each step of the journey. Its worth asking the ticket collector/ guard to check that a ramp will be waiting at journey end. They then phone ahead and will tell them which coach / seat you are in.

I did manage to fall asleep the other week - ended up in London!!! 60min journey became 4hrs!!! LOL