Southern can now further support disabled passengers at nine Sutton and Surrey stations

A new mobile assistance team has started work in a trial to further support disabled passengers and other customers at nine smaller stations in South London.

It means support should be available at the stations within 20 minutes every day of the week – weekends included – to board every train that is running. Staff already work on site at many of the stations but only when the ticket office is open.

The stations are:

• Belmont
• Carshalton Beeches
• Epsom Downs
• Ewell East
• Hackbridge
• Kingswood
• Tadworth
• Tattenham Corner
• Waddon

The service is intended for anyone who needs assistance getting around the station and boarding a train – whether it be an older person with luggage, someone who is visually impaired or, where platforms are step-free, a ramp to board the train for a wheelchair or mobility scooter user.

Croydon resident Yusuf Osman is blind and a member of Southern’s Access Advisory Panel. He regularly travels from Waddon station.

Yusuf said: “Knowing I can call before I leave the house and have someone ready to meet me at the station is a real game-changer. It really gives me even more confidence in travelling by rail. I hope other disabled people will try it and give the Southern team the feedback on this trial that they need.”

Customers request assistance when they arrive at the station, either by contacting the control centre from the station help point, using the ‘emergency and assisted travel button’, or by calling freephone 0808 168 1238 or texting 07970 511077.

The mobile assistance teams, who are based at Sutton station, will drive to the nine stations, aiming to arrive within 20 minutes, to help the customer board the train and notify the destination station of their arrival. On the customer’s return journey, the mobile assistance team will be there to greet the customer off the train.

If passengers prefer, they can book the mobile assistance team further in advance by contacting the assisted travel team either online or by calling 0800 138 1016.

Southern’s Accessibility Lead Carl Martin said: “We're constantly looking for ways to improve the level of service we give people who need assistance, to overcome the barriers that prevent independent travel on the railway.

“This new mobile assistance team could transform the lives of many of our customers. It will help us create a more accessible and inclusive railway, where everyone has the confidence to travel with us.

“We really want people to try out the service and let us know what they think about it through our customer contact centre.”

ends

Editor’s notes

Southern provides assistance at all its stations, whether that is via staff onboard trains or at stations, through mobile assistance teams or alternative transport to the nearest staffed accessible station.

Passengers can feed back their experience of the service either by email at comments@southernrailway.com or by calling 0800 138 1018, which is a Relay UK text service for people with hearing and speech difficulties