Travelling by train can be a daunting experience for passengers with accessibility needs or other special requirements.

A new scheme set up by East Midlands Railway (EMR) hopes to help make journeys easier by inviting travellers from Derby to meet with a member of station staff.

During their visit, East Midlands Railway customers will receive a tour of the station and talk through their specific needs, so that the rail operator can help make their journey go smoothly.

Who is the scheme designed for?

The service is bespoke and might particularly suit passengers who wish to travel independently, but need a little extra support before making their journey, or those with new needs, as well as travellers who do not use the train very often and may not be confident finding their way around the station or buying their tickets.

It could also be used by parents whose children regularly travel unaccompanied.

The free scheme, which is being trialled for 6 months, is flexible and easy to use.

EMR already offers customers cards to help them communicate their disability or need to staff.

How to book?

To book a meeting, travellers just need to visit EMR’s Derby station page, select ‘Plan Visit’ and book their appointment, with as little as 6 hours’ notice required.

Once a meeting has been booked, the traveller’s details and needs are shared with station staff, who will host them at the convenient time.

The scheme, using the tagline ‘Travel with confidence’, is a collaboration between EMR and WelcoMe, a software company which specialises in helping disabled people to share their accessibility needs with venues before visiting and provides training and support for companies to help meet customers’ requirements.

This scheme can also be booked through the WelcoMe website.

We are pleased to announce the start of this pilot at Derby station and are looking forward to receiving feedback from customers on its usefulness.

“This bespoke service aims to empower customers with disabilities or specific requirements to travel confidently and independently while still receiving the assistance they need.

“It could prove very useful to a range of customers, from travellers with accessibility requirements, first-time train users, or people with anxiety issues.

“If you, or anyone you know, will benefit from the service, please visit our website or the WelcoMe site to book an appointment.

Dave Meredith, Customer Services Director at East Midlands Railway

For many disabled people, the anxieties connected to travel prevent them from planning or undertaking a journey at all.

“Becoming familiar with environments and trusting those providing services is fundamental to this process, and we are incredibly excited to be working with East Midlands Railway to be addressing this challenge.

“WelcoMe connects disabled people directly with the customer service team members they will meet and provides the teams with best practice and tips on interactions before they arrive.

“We all experience anxiety connected to travel, but for many disabled people, this anxiety will stop them from traveling at all. Together with Derby Station, we will prove what’s possible.

Gavin A Neate, Founder of WelcoMe