New Survey Finds a Third of UK Train Stations Lack Accessibility for People With Mobility Needs

A new nationwide survey has found that more than a third of UK train stations still fall short on accessibility for passengers with mobility needs, more than two decades after the same problems were first flagged. For older people and anyone who relies on a mobility aid, the findings are a reminder that staying independent is not only about how you move around your own home, but also about whether you can leave it and travel with confidence.

The research, carried out by the women’s charity Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI) and reported by trade title THIIS Magazine, drew on surveys of 373 stations and 985 platforms across the country. While 65 per cent of stations reported some form of disability provision, the charity concluded that accessibility across the network remains inconsistent and, in many places, inadequate.

What the survey found

The headline figure is that around a third of surveyed stations lack the disability provision that travellers with reduced mobility depend on. According to the findings, a significant minority of stations have no step-free access between platforms, and problems such as inaccessible lifts, steep ramps and platform restrictions can make independent travel difficult or impossible.

Staffing emerged as a central theme. Many passengers who need a ramp deployed still have to rely on a member of staff to help them board or alight, yet the survey noted that only one in ten stations were staffed at all times. Where staffing has been reduced, that assistance is not always available when it is needed. The researchers also warned that replacing printed timetables with QR code based information can disadvantage passengers who are partially sighted.

SIGBI has been examining safety and accessibility on the railways for around three decades, first launching its railway investigation in 1996 and relaunching the project in 2024 to see how much had changed. The charity’s conclusion is sobering: more than twenty years on from a similar report in 2002, many of the challenges facing disabled, elderly, pregnant and mobility-impaired passengers remain unresolved. Gillie O’Rourke, President of SIGBI, said that being unable to independently reach another platform, use a lift or complete a journey without staff assistance can increase both anxiety and vulnerability for people already concerned about travelling.

Why it matters for older and disabled travellers

For the readers who use this site, the relevance is direct. The same reduced mobility that makes stairs at home a daily obstacle can turn a flight of steps at a railway station, a gap between platform and train, or an out-of-order lift into a reason not to travel at all. When getting to the shops, a hospital appointment or a family visit feels uncertain, people often simply stop going, and that loss of confidence can shrink someone’s world just as much as difficulty moving around indoors.

Independence, in other words, has two halves. One is being able to move safely and comfortably inside your own home, including between floors. The other is being able to get out into your community. A home that has been thoughtfully adapted supports the first half, but the SIGBI findings are a useful prompt to think about the second half too, and to plan journeys in a way that reduces the risk of being caught out by an inaccessible station.

What you can do when planning a journey

While the wider network improves, there are practical steps that can make rail travel more manageable today. National Rail’s Passenger Assist scheme lets you arrange help with boarding, changing trains and getting off at your destination, and it can be booked in advance or, in many cases, closer to the time of travel. It is worth checking the accessibility information for both your departure and arrival stations before you set off, as step-free access and staffing can vary widely from one station to the next.

A few simple habits can help. Build in extra time so a missing lift or a wait for assistance does not cause you to miss a connection. Where possible, travel at quieter times when staff are more likely to be available. Keep a note of the assistance phone line and your booking reference, and if you can, travel with a companion for journeys through stations you do not know. SIGBI is calling on rail operators and government to speed up step-free access programmes, remove mandatory pre-booking requirements for assistance where possible, and address the impact of staffing cuts, so the hope is that some of these barriers will ease over time.

Planning for independence, inside and out

The broader lesson from the survey is the value of planning ahead rather than waiting for a crisis. Just as many people put off sorting out the stairs at home until a fall or a hospital stay forces the issue, travel is often only reconsidered after a difficult journey knocks someone’s confidence. Thinking early about how you will manage both, and putting the right support in place before you need it, tends to lead to better and less stressful outcomes.

If the stairs in your own home are becoming a concern, it helps to understand your options and what they are likely to cost before you commit. You can read our guide to typical UK stairlift prices to get a realistic sense of the figures, and our overview of stairlift grants and the Disabled Facilities Grant to check whether you might qualify for financial help towards a home adaptation. Where structural work is involved, an assessment by an occupational therapist is the usual starting point and can help match the solution to your needs.

Accessibility, whether on the railways or on the stairs at home, comes down to the same principle: people should be able to get where they need to go safely and with dignity. The SIGBI survey shows there is still a long way to go on the rail network. In the meantime, planning your journeys carefully and keeping your own home working for you are two things well within your control.