Accessible Travel Information

Passenger Assist

At Chiltern Railways we want to provide a great service for all our customers, including those with special travel needs or those who would appreciate a helping hand.

What can our Assisted Travel Team help with?

Our Assisted Travel Team can help you in all kinds of situations, such as:

  • Advice about access at the stations you want to use.
  • Assisting you when you arrive at the station, change trains or reach your destination.

If you have a disability that makes travelling by train difficult, you may qualify for discounted travel – ask the Assisted Travel Team for details.

Booking Passenger Assistance

If you are planning on travelling with Chiltern Railways and other rail operators, you can now request assistance up to 2 hours ahead of your journey. the easiest way to request assistance is by using the Passenger Assistance website. Alternatively you can call 03456 005 165 (selecting option 3 then option 3 again) to book over the phone.

For more information about Passenger Assist and how to request assistance via Passenger Assist, please visit the National Rail Enquiries website.

If passengers are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired, they can use the Relay UK app and request 03456 005 165 (selecting option 3 then option 3 again).

Please note that you can always simply “turn up and go” without booking assistance in advance, or if you have made an online booking that has not yet been confirmed. We will provide assistance to get you to your destination.

Booking Passenger Assistance through National Rail

Simply call for free on 0800 0223720 or text 60083.

For textphone/SMS 0845 60 50 600.

Let us know the journey you are planning to take, and we will connect you to the appropriate train operating company to make your booking request.

For text and textphone we’ll send an instant SMS with the number you need to dial from your textphone unit.

Call and texts are at no charge.

I need assistance to complete my journey

If you need assistance to go by train, staff will continue to provide help.

  • Passengers can book assistance in advance to ensure that staff are prepared for your journey. 
  • At  staffed stations, please arrive at the station, at least 20 minutes before planned departure and make yourself known to a member of staff.
  • Different rail operators might have different approaches and we advise that you should check with all operators you are using and we encourage you to book if using several operators in a journey.
  • All passengers will be guided to the appropriate area on board for their journey. 

What should I do if the assistance I was seeking was not delivered?

You can make a complaint on the webform at the bottom of the contact us page.

When assistance has been booked but has not been provided due to a failure of the assistance service, we will provide you with appropriate redress. In these instances, the form and value may be determined on a case by case basis taking into account the circumstances of each case. We will be happy to assist you with your claim.

We will coordinate a response to your complaint if you travelled with multiple train companies, and we will provide you with a full explanation in response, including why it happened and what mitigating actions we intend to take as a result.

Accessibility Group

We launched our Accessibility Group in March 2021 which brings together local people who have lived experience of disability to create a more accessible rail network and have a say in how policy is shaped at Chiltern Railways.

We are currently recruiting for up to 8 volunteers who have personal experience of disability and access barriers (or advocate for someone who has) and have a passion for accessible public transport.

Find out more information about the group and how to apply.

Wheelchair spaces

We welcome customers in mobility scooters on our trains and can carry customers in scooters and wheelchairs up to 700mm wide and 1200mm long with a maximum weight of 300kg (including your weight). Customers may remain in scooters and wheelchairs when travelling and can use the dedicated wheelchair bays on our trains.
Priority seating is available in every coach and is situated nearest the vestibules and is clearly signed. 

Accessible stations

Click here for an interactive map that gives you information on how accessible stations around the UK are. If you are using a mobile device, we recommend visiting the station page you are travelling to and from which will provide accessibility information. For information on stations that are served by Chiltern Railways, please visit our stations and route map page.

Station accessibility categorisation. Below is an explanation of the levels of categorisation for station accessibility:

  • A = step free access to all platforms via level crossings, lifts, ramps.
  • B1 = Step free access to all platforms - may include long or steep ramps. Access between platforms may be via the street.
  • B2 = Some step free access to all platforms - please check details.
  • B3 = some step free access, may be in one direction only - please check details.
  • C = The station has no step free access to any platform.

Accessible toilets

Are available in the coaches next to the wheelchair spaces and are clearly indicated on the outside of the units by the yellow strip and signage on the doors. 
All of our manned stations have accessible toilets. 


Car Parking

Disabled drivers with Blue Badges can park for free at all of our stations.

  • If you have a Blue Badge, you may register it online (before parking) via the APCOA website.
  • Alternatively, on your first visit to the station car park you should speak to ticket office staff, who will check your Blue Badge and register your vehicle on the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system.
  • If no staff are available at your nearest station, and you cannot register your Blue Badge online, then please contact us here.

You must clearly display your Blue Badge on your vehicle dashboard every time you park.

Onboard

Our trains all have an interior colour scheme designed to help those with visual difficulties. To assist those with hearing problems, all our carriages have electronic visual displays showing the stations at which the service calls. 


Discounted travel FAQs

If you have a disability that makes travelling by train difficult you may qualify for discounted travel. Concessionary fares If you’re registered as blind or visually-impaired and are travelling with another person then you’re entitled to special concessionary fares and discounts. You can save:

  AdultsChildren

Disabled Persons Railcard holders

Companion to a Disabled Persons Railcard Holders

Most National Rail Fares

Single or Return Off-Peak

Oyster Pay As You Go

34%50%
Visually impaired customers when travelling with a companion

National Rail Anytime Day Single, Anytime Single or Anytime Return

 

National Rail Anytime Day Return

34%

 

50%

50%

 

50%

Wheelchair users who stay in their own wheelchair and one companion

National Rail Anytime Day Single, Anytime Single or Anytime Return

 

National Rail Anytime Day Return

34%

 

50%

34%

 

50%

London Freedom Pass holders (within the London Travelcard zones).

More info here.

 FREE 

 

Please carry a document confirming your visual impairment when buying your ticket and when travelling. This must be from a recognised institution such as Social Services, your Local Authority, The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) or Blind Veterans UK (formerly St Dunstan’s).

What is the Sunflower Lanyard?

  • Sunflower lanyards are intended as a way for people with non-visible impairments to indicate they might need assistance and they can also be used, with an additional card, to indicate someone is exempt from wearing a face covering.
     
  • If you want any further information please click here.

Sunflower lanyard picture


Wheelchair users

If you need to stay in your own wheelchair during your journey the above concessionary fares also apply if you are travelling alone or to any one adult travelling with you. 


Disabled Person’s Railcard

If you have a disability that makes travelling by train difficult you might qualify for the Disabled Person's Railcard. A Railcard gives you and an adult companion 1/3 off most Standard and First Class fares throughout the UK. It also lets you purchase discounted tickets on the train you’re travelling on. A one year card currently costs £20. A three year card is also available for £54.


Season tickets for the visually impaired

If you are blind or visually-impaired you can buy a season ticket that allows a companion to travel with you for free. You can buy these tickets at staffed stations, just remember to carry a document confirming your visual impairment when buying your ticket and travelling. This needs to be from a recognised institution such as Social Services, your Local Authority, The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) or Blind Veterans UK (formerly St Dunstan’s).


Delays & alternative transport

If the train you are due to catch is seriously delayed, we’ll make sure you have a suitable place to wait in the station. We will also help out if there’s a platform change too. If your train is seriously delayed or cancelled before you reach your final destination (as shown on your train ticket) we’ll do our best to get you there by other means, either by arranging a seat for you on another train or by alternative transport suitable for your needs. If we still can’t get you to your final destination, we will get you as close as reasonably possible. Where necessary, we will arrange overnight hotel accommodation for you until we can get you there. If you are travelling on a train operated by another train company and due to circumstances within their control that train is unable to continue its journey, they will try to get you to your final destination by other means. In certain circumstances, according to the conditions set down in our Passenger's Charter, compensation and refunds will be available.
You can find out more about Refunds and Compensation here.


When services and facilities are unavailable

We always do our best to make sure that the facilities you need to use on our services, such as lifts and call-for-assistance buttons, are in good working order. If they fail and cannot be repaired immediately, our Assisted Travel Team will be informed of the problem and estimated repair time as soon as possible. We also pass this information on to other train operators. Wherever possible, we will offer other means of access or alternative transport free of charge. We will consult the Department for Transport about any facilities we remove permanently and provide a suitable replacement. Very occasionally, trains may not have the anticipated wheelchair spaces or wheelchair-accessible toilets in place if, for example, the appropriate coach is not available. In the rare cases of wheelchair-accessible toilets not working, we’ll give you the option of catching a different train.

Social Media Pledge

To see what we are doing to make our social media posts more accessible, please see the social media accessibility pledge.

Communication cards

Here at Chiltern Railways, we are passionate that everyone using our services feel welcomed and included. To this end, communication cards are now available to print off and show to our frontline teams to support communication, and to help us help you.

The cards are available to print in both A6 and ticket wallet sizes, or from our customer relations team, who will happily email or send them out in the post to you. If you would like to self-print them at home, please download them using the links at the bottom of the page.

Customer Relations Contact Details: 03456 005 165 (option 3, then 4)

Further information

For fares and services or to book tickets please call us on 03456 005 165 (0700hrs to 2200hrs) or Textphone: 08457 078 051. If your vision is impaired and you would appreciate a large print (A3 paper sized) version of our timetable booklet please call 03456 005 165 (Mondays to Fridays, 0830 to 1730). To help to inform you before you travel, the follow documents are available to you, click to open the documents: