Govia Thameslink Railway hosted a ‘Try a train’ event earlier this month from Brighton to Chichester. 11 ‘Possibility People’ with various accessibility needs took part in the event.

Possibility People is a Brighton based charity which aims to help people who are disabled or have long-term health conditions to live independently.

The day was led by Brighton Station Manager, Anthony Dowset. The group was issued with their own ticket and were able to go through the gates by themselves. Once on the train, they were updated with the upcoming initiatives from GTR to help people with illnesses and/or disabilities. This stage was rounded off with a Q&A session.

At Chichester, the group took on a tour of the station before a break for refreshments, before heading back to Brighton.

Back in Brighton, the group was taken on a visit to the Toy and Rail Museum under the station. The visually impaired members of the group were treated to an immersive sensory experience by Jan Etches, the Museums Manager.

Govia Thameslink has a high demand for their Try a Train events. The train operating company runs a dozen or so events each year.

What did the officials say?

Anthony Dowsett said: “The Try a Train initiative is a valuable experience for all people with accessibility needs as it can help build confidence in using public transport independently. It also helps Govia Thameslink Railway to fully understand the wide range of needs of our passengers may have, meaning that we can provide the best accessibility support both at stations and on the trains.”

• Visit the Govia Thameslink website
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