Members of Parliament need to hold the Department for Transport to account about the state of the assisted travel service on the railways across the United Kingdom.
Earlier this year I wrote to the Minister for Rail and HS2, Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill CBE about this very issue and how bad the service has become at New Street railway station in Birmingham for those with mobility issues or disabilities.
In my letter dated July the 20th, 2026 I recalled a number of challenging experiences that I have faced whilst using the assisted travel service at the station since the start of year, which included:
A member of staff working within the assisted travel lounge calling management and passengers ” f***king Ar**holes, following a discussion between staff members about passengers making complaints about the service offered.
The use of the wrong ramp by a customer assistant at the station when I was being assisted onto a train to Hereford from Birmingham.
Ramps not being completely secured to carriages of trains by staff at the station before I was allowed to leave a service, which led to the ramp moving as I wheeled onto it in my wheelchair.
There are plenty more examples of how I have been failed by staff delivering the assisted travel service, hence why I believe that there needs to be a parliamentary debate surrounding this issue so that the full scale of the issue is revealed.
My message to the government and Members of Parliament across the house is this, it is time that the full scale of the issues facing the assisted travel service across the railways in the United Kingdom being used by the disabled community is revealed through a debate.
This will allow the service to be monitored at every level of delivery by the Department for Transport and Network Rail until significant improvement can be seen in the way the service is delivered for passengers across the nation, but especially in Birmingham.
To say that I am fed up with the service I am receiving when boarding trains in the second city is an understatement, things however do need to improve now and not in the next 5 or 10 years when it suits.
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It is only right that I take the opportunity to thank to the team from West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway who always ensure that the disabled community are able to travel around the rail network that they manage with both ease and confidence.
Your support has not gone unnoticed and is very much appreciated which always will be.
Finally, thank you to each and everyone of you my regular loyal readers and social media followers who continually take the time out of your busy schedules to read my latest posts, it doesn’t go unnoticed and is of course very much appreciated.
Cam
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