Passenger Assistance is not something every passenger needs on every journey. But when a trip is longer, unfamiliar, important or more physically demanding, being able to request support in advance can make all the difference.
For Steve and Irene, that reassurance has been especially valuable on longer journeys, including a trip from London Euston after Irene had recently been in hospital.
It means they can plan ahead, feel reassured and travel with more confidence, knowing help will be there when they need it.
Steve and Irene are both retired. They hadn’t used Passenger Assistance before but after Irene had a surgery, Steve booked Passenger Assistance to give them peace of mind from the start.
For Irene, having that support in place was particularly reassuring.
“It was helpful because I had been in hospital, so I wasn’t up to my full strength. It was just reassuring to know that there would be someone there to help us get onto the train, get to the right place and stow our luggage for us.”
That reassurance matters because train travel can quickly become stressful, especially when journeys are long, unfamiliar or important.
“I think when you’re travelling, you can feel anxious about being in the right place at the right time. Passenger Assistance reduces that anxiety.”
For Steve, accessible train travel should give everyone the chance to travel in a way that feels as easy and stress free as possible.
“I think accessible travel gives everybody the chance to have a travel experience that’s as easy as possible and stress free, no matter what their personal requirements or their needs are.
“It takes away the anxiety of travelling and going to places that you’re not familiar with, or going to a station that you’re not familiar with, and having all the information before you set off.”
Irene agrees that accessible travel is particularly important for Disabled people and older people because it helps remove some of the uncertainty around travelling.
For Steve and Irene, being able to arrange support in advance changes how the journey feels. Instead of arriving unsure of what will happen, they can travel knowing that help should be there when they need it.
“I think it’s very easy to get stressed over travel. Anything that you can do to remove that stress and make things easy is essential.”
For Irene and Steve, it is not a nice to have. It is essential.