JustBeingCP

Aston Villa supporters will begin making their way to Wembley by rail this morning for our FA Cup semi final against Crystal Palace.

West Midlands Trains (WMT) installed accessible waiting spaces at Selly Oak railway stations last year (2024) in an attempt to make the assisted travel experience seamless for those with disabilities and other mobility issues when using the rail network.

As you will know by now I first met with senior officials from the operator in November 2023 at Witton lane station that is situated just a 5 to 10 minute walk or wheel away from Villa Park, it was here where I was able to show West Midlands Trains (WMT) the challenges that I and others faced when using the station to either get home or back into Birmingham city centre.

At the end of that meeting I suggested that they considered trialling accessible waiting spaces and other types of signage at the station, much to my surprise they agreed and began figuring out how to make it happen.

Since January 2024 nine other stations across the network managed by the operator have seen the spaces installed along with other types of signage and one of those stations is Selly Oak.

The spaces are in the form of a blue and white box which features both a white wheelchair logo and the words ” for mobility assistance, please wait here”.

My message to any villa supporters heading down to Wembley from Selly Oak station is a clear but simple one and is this , please be mindful of where you stand on the platforms at the station as those needing assistance to also board services will need access to the spaces on the platforms at all times.

Your support in ensuring that all supporters can travel with ease this season from the stations with the spaces has been incredible, lets keep that up today as we head to the capital for what is set to be an enjoyable occasion.

Do you travel by rail on a regular basis and require some assistance to either board or disembark services, your assisted travel can be booked up to 2 hours before departure in 1 of 3 ways.

By Phone: 0800 024 8998 or by using Next Generation Text – 18001 0800 024 8998.

Online: https://booking.passengerassistance.com.

By using the App: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/passenger-assistance/id1542190496.

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I wish all those attending the match later a safe, successful and enjoyable afternoon and thank them for taking the time to read this reminder about the accessibility provision that is on offer for supporters at Selly Oak station as they begin there epic journey to Wembley.

Once again I would like to thank the incredible team at WMT for going above and of course beyond to make assisted travel better for our ( the disabled) community who live across the region, if they travel by rail, your efforts and dedication haven’t gone unnoticed and are very much appreciated.

Thank you must also go to you my regular loyal readers and social media followers who continually take the time out of your busy schedules to read my latest post, it doesn’t go unnoticed and is of course very much appreciated.

Cam