Trains get a bad press in this country, what with commuters having to stand, every day, in stuffy carriages as they make their slow, if not late way to work – and they have to pay more with every passing year for the privilege. Going on holiday by train though is an entirely different matter.
Our railways take in every aspect of the UK from blustering coastline to rolling hills, or on more urban lines, in the shadow of cathedrals and castles. With this in mind, using the train network brinags anywhere you could think of in the UK into reach. Furthermore, it can be a wonderful way to relax and take in the passing scenery.
If you’re using the railway as a means to go on holiday, you’ll soon realise that in some senses, the journey is as much the vacation as the destination itself. Depending on your route and variables like the amount of changes you need to make between trains it can be a rare opportunity to sit back and let things unfold, as they will. The fact that you aren’t driving or having to do much more than sit means that you can divest yourself of pretty much all of your ordinary responsibilities.
Traveling by rail is also relatively cheap if you take the care to book tickets in advance or use discount schemes like the Disabled Person’s Railcard. As well as this and unlike other forms of transport, there are no customs or security points to negotiate.
Railways still preserve an element of the old romance associated with travel.
Perhaps it’s because of the survival of grand nineteenth century stations and the unusual stops that trains make to places that you’ll have never heard of before. My suggestion is to play on this, bringing your own snacks instead of having to rely on the disappointingly frugal collection of oddments on the catering trolley. (When else do people eat Twiglets?) Anyway, my advice is to make the journey special by bringing along a carefully prepared picnic of your favourite bits and pieces (although you will have to endure the occasional jealous stare from a fellow passenger).
These days more pressing and practical concerns are also being dealt with pretty effectively by train companies. Access and facilities continue to improve as new franchise operators seek to attract a diverse customer base of businesspeople and families alike. With a little bit of preparation, journeys on the railways can be serene and peaceful and a world away from the scrummage of early morning commutes.
Travel Assistance
Nobody likes a nasty surprise when they turn up in good faith and have expectations of standards or service. So if you think that you might need assistance when making a rail journey it’s well worth taking the time to prepare properly. Help in getting on or off trains or provision of ramps for wheelchairs can be arranged. Passenger assistance is free of charge and available for anyone that requires it because of a disability. (You do not need a Disabled Persons Railcard to qualify.)
The starting point should be the station at which your journey begins. You’ll need to find out which train company is responsible for running it and contact them with an idea of your needs and how they might be able to help you. They’ll be able to let you know what’s available. Most companies ask for a minimum of 24 hours notice to put measures into place – usually staffing and provision of equipment like ramps etc. Staff will also be able to assist you in planning journeys, booking tickets, changing platforms and locating your seat. Even if you have traveled unassisted before, the booking will help to make sure that solutions are applied to anything that goes wrong, such as a broken accessible toilet etc. (If you cannot give 24 hours notice, train companies will still do their best but cannot guarantee a full service provision – it’s best then, to help them to help you, by giving notice.)
Details about contacts and further advice can be found on the ‘Support and Information’ section of train companies’ websites and includes notes on the facilities available at stations.
The Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) has produced a map of the mainland National Rail Network providing information about accessibility for many of the stations – in particular symbols indicating step-free access (or any limited access).
Photos are often useful when planning a route around a station. With this in mind the ‘Stations Made Easy’ section of the ‘Stations and Destinations’ pages have images of major stations allowing disabled people to start to understand the essential layout of stations that they might need to use whilst on their journeys.
TRAIN FACILITIES
For a description of the sorts of facilities and adaptations on board trains, you’ll need to consult with individual train companies. If you aren’t sure which train company operates your route check with the National Rail Enquiries ‘Journey Planner’.
MOBILITY SCOOTERS
This is something of a bone of contention. Different train companies have different policies. This highlights one of the weaknesses of the rail franchise scheme in that if you break your journey at a particular point to ‘change’ trains to use another service operated by a different company, a different policy will apply and you may not be able to board (and complete your journey) – even though the trains may be very similar. It’s very far from ideal and might even mean that certain routes are off-limits to people with scooters, although some may be able to use alternative mobility aids. (It’s another example of why preparation is such a good idea.)
Booking Passenger Assistance
You may feel better about speaking with rail staff in person at your local railway station or you could call National Rail Enquiries who will connect you with the specific train company passenger assistance team that you need to speak with. Fortunately, even if your booking straddles two (or more) railway companies, the details are passed on within the system as part of the booking, meaning that you don’t have to contact each company involved with your journey. In fact a new computerised system installed in May 2012 cross-checks your assistance requests with the accessibility of each station you’re due to visit on your journey.
Tel: 08457 484950
Textphone: 0845 6050600
AVAILABLE ASSISTANCE
Staff will assist you if you need an accessible wheelchair space and can bring you items from the buffet carriage or provide simple considerations such as alerting you when your stop is coming up. (Assistance can continue through the station to your next transport method.)
Assistance cannot cover personal services such as feeding or toileting etc.
HELPING OUT
Disabled passengers can help the smooth running of passenger assistance, not just for themselves but for others too. Rail companies appreciate passengers making themselves known as having booked assistance 20 minutes ahead of departure in busy stations (and 10 minutes prior to departure in small stations) to give them a chance to help them through what might be a very crowded environment to the correct departure platform. Clearly, if you don’t tell staff that you have booked assistance, they won’t know to provide it. (It’s always best to bring your printed confirmation with you too.)
Furthermore, train companies advise that customers use the passenger assistance phone or textphone number to make them aware of any problems or delays to expose any areas for improvement.
DISABLED PERSONS RAILCARD
People who receive disability related benefits, are deaf, use a hearing aid or are visually impaired or have epilepsy will be entitled (among others) to claim a Disabled Persons Railcard. The scheme allows passengers to save a third on most rail fares across Britain and costs just £20 for a year or £54 for three years.
www.disabledpersons-railcard.co.uk
Check stations and destinations at:
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/
Here are some of our favourite railway routes. Access varies from one to another, so check before travelling.
Shrewsbury to Swansea
As meandering as a poem by Dylan Thomas (of Swansea birth) and sweeping through the wonderful Welsh Marches, I suppose that this countryside is the answer to why so many Welsh people are so proud to be ‘Valley Boys’. Along the route you’ll also see charming stations decked out with flowers tended by dedicated locals.
Arriva Trains Wales stations (www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk)
4 hours
Belfast to Londonderry
A classic train lovers’ line that traverses the green rural Northern Irish landscape dotted with small farms. Look out for the romantic Mussenden Temple on the edge of the sea cliff as the train enters County Londonderry. From this point, the Irish Sea is rarely out of view.
Translink stations
(www.translink.co.uk)
2 hours 30 minutes
Ryde Pier to Shanklin,
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is so compact that it can be crossed in about half an hour by train. Those arriving at Ryde Pier need only sit aboard what is, in fact an ‘underground’ train from the late 1930’s that takes them through open fields to Smallbrook Junction. From here, nostalgia fans can catch the Isle of Wight Steam Railway services to Wooton.
Island Line stations
(www.island-line.co.uk)
24 minutes
Exeter to Penzance
This is a real treasure route taking in natural and man-made marvels aplenty. It starts along the sea wall, passing through Dawlish and Teignmouth before parting the wooded valleys of the South Harns with views across Dartmoor. The best vistas are thanks to the grand viaducts engineered by Brunel. Indeed, you’ll be carried over his Albert Bridge as you cross the Tamar into Cornwall and in plain sight of St Michael’s Mount.
First Great Western
(www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk)
Carlisle to Newcastle
Once completed, you’ll always be able to say that you traversed the country from coast to coast since you’ll have started with your back to the Irish Sea and finish facing out to the North Sea. If you prefer history to geography you could describe it as the route that neatly follows the edge of Hadrian’s Wall as it clips the 60-mile thinning of the mainland.
Northern Rail stations
(www.northernrail.org)
1hour 30minutes
Middlesbrough to Whitby
The line edges the North York Moors National Park and takes passengers through scenery punctuated by occasional stone-built villages. As the train scythes through the Esk Valley you’ll see the magnificent silhouette of Roseberry Topping before reaching the River Esk and your destination.
Northern Rail stations
(www.northernrail.org)
1 hour 30minutes
Grosmont to Pickering
Anybody that takes the car when they might get aboard a train for this journey is going to miss out on superb views of the North York Moors National Park landscapes. Furthermore, they’ll miss out on using the steam train that features on teatime TV favourite ‘Heartbeat’. The route takes in Goathland and Newtondale before a brief glimpse of the sprawling thirteenth century Pickering Castle tells you that you’re arriving at the terminus.
NYMR stations (nymr.co.uk)
1 hour
Inverness to Thurso
There is plenty of stunning scenery in Scotland and lots of Highland lines that have been taking visitors hunting, fishing, painting, walking and any other pastime you care to mention since the Victorian era. The Inverness to Thurso trip is right up with the best and is renowned, particularly during winter months for the opportunity to spot deer.
ScotRail stations
(www.firstgroup.com/scotrail)
4 hours
Glasgow to Mallaig
Our list of train journeys would be incomplete without the Glasgow to Mallaig route. Some polls have suggested that this railway journey is the finest of them all. Once out of Glasgow the route skirts Loch Lomond before taking in waterfalls, castle ruins and the brutal, beautiful Rannoch Moor. Ben Nevis comes into view before the train crosses the wondrous 100ft viaduct, famed as the commute to Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films.
ScotRail
(www.firstgroup.com/scotrail)
5 hours 15 minutes
Porthmadog to Blaenau Ffestiniog
Porthmadog is the starting point for the beautiful route through the mountains of Snowdonia. At 3,560ft Snowdon is the dominant point of the landscape to which all things appear to be paying allegiance.
www.ffestiniograilway.co.uk/
1 hour 15minutes
Contact details for train company travel assistance teams:
Arriva Trains Wales
Tel: 08453 003005
Textphone: 0845 7585469
arrivatrainswales.co.uk
C2C
Tel: 01702 357640
Textphone: 01702 357640
c2c-online.co.uk
Chiltern Railways
Tel: 08456 005165
Textphone: 08457 078051
chilternrailways.co.uk
CrossCountry
Tel: 0844 8110125
Textphone: 0844 8110126
crosscountrytrains.co.uk
East Coast
Tel: 08457 225225
Text relay service: 18001 08457225225
eastcoast.co.uk
East Midlands Trains
Tel: 08457 125678
Textphone: 08457 078051
eastmidlandstrains.co.uk
First Capital Connect
Tel: 0800 0582844
Textphone: 0800 9751052
firstcapitalconnect.co.uk
First Great Western
Tel: 08001 971329
Textphone: 08002 949209
firstgreatwestern.com
First Transpennine Express
Tel: 0800 1072149
Textphone: 0800 1072061
tpexpress.co.uk
Gatwick Express
Tel: 0800 1380225
gatwickexpress.co.uk
Greater Anglia
Tel: 08000 282878
Textphone: 0845 6067245
greateranglia.co.uk
Hull Trains
Tel: 08450 710222
Textphone: 08456 786967
hulltrains.co.uk
Island Line
Tel: 0800 5282100
Textphone: 0800 6920792
island-line.com
London Midland
Tel: 08706 096060
Textphone: 08457 078051
londonmidland.com
London Overground
Tel: 08456 014867
Textphone: 08457 125988
ww.tfl.gov.uk
Merseyrail
Tel: 0800 0277347
Textphone: 0151 7022071
Northern Rail
Tel: 08456 008008
Textphone: 08456 045608
northernrail.org
ScotRail
Tel: 0800 9122901
Typetalk: 18001 08009122901
scotrail.co.uk
Southeastern
Tel: 08007 834524
Textphone: 08007 834548
southeasternrailway.co.uk
South West Trains
Tel: 0800 5282100
Textphone: 0800 6920792
southwwesttrains.co.uk
Southern
Tel: 0800 1381016
Textphone: 0800 1381018
southernrailway.com
Virgin Trains
Tel: 08457 443366
Textphone:
08457 443367
virgintrains.co.uk
