Govia Thameslink Railway has created the guide with a great deal of input from Josh Puglia who has autism and is packed full of practical great advice for people who live with the condition alongside those who with anxiety.

Josh is 30 years old and lives in Goring-by-Sea and has joined the train operators Access Advisory Panel which are made up of a group of disabled volunteers who travel with Govia Thameslink Railway which operators Gatwick Express, Southern, Thameslink and Great Northern services and offer practical advice on how improvements can be made. The train operator has recently made a £600,000 investment in improvements in a bid to support accessibility.

Josh said: “I can’t drive because I have autism, so being able to travel by train is so important to me – it gives me independence to travel to Brighton to the charity Grace Eyre which gives me and others with autism and learning disabilities support and where I’m an ambassador trustee.

“But it’s really challenging. If it’s really busy and there’s a queue behind me at the ticket office or it’s noisy then it makes me really anxious and I can feel overwhelmed.

“This guide will help others with autism see how they too can buy tickets and travel by train.

“And, hopefully, World Autism Acceptance Week will help other people understand my autism and give me the space that I sometimes need.”

Antony Merlyn, GTR’s Accessibility Engagement Manager worked on the guide with Josh and autistic colleagues and said:

“The idea to produce the ‘Easy Ticket Guide’ came when I first spoke to Josh after he joined our panel. Together, we discussed how buying tickets can create anxiety and potentially present a barrier to travel for many disabled customers – not just those with autism.

“It’s all about removing barriers to travel. This can take all shapes and sizes – it’s not just about doing big things like installing lifts. This guide is a very simple idea which tackles a very real potential source of anxiety.”

The Easy Ticket Guide can be downloaded from the following pages:

• Gatwick Express click here
• Southern click here
• Thameslink click here
• Great Northern click here

Another guide is currently being made to support people in finding the right train.