The assisted travel service for those travelling through New Street railway station in Birmingham who have disabilities or mobility issues won’t change unless Network Rail understands and learns from my recent experiences when using the service as a rail passenger who is in a wheelchair.
In July I wrote to the Minister for Rail and HS2 at the Department for Transport about my experiences of using the service in recent months, where I recalled some of the most shocking incidents.
Last month, Heidi Alexander MP, the Secretary of State for Transport responded to my concerns by saying that, Network Rail has assured me that it takes these concerns very seriously, particularly those relating to experience of disabled passengers, staff conduct and the safe delivery of assistance services”.
” Network Rail is keen to directly with you so that it can gain a fuller understanding of the issues you have raised, investigate the incidents greater detail and provide a more comprehensive response to your concerns”.
She (Secretary of State) went onto add that, ” Network Rail remains committed to ensuring that passengers who require assistance receive a service that is safe, reliable and respectful, and it will continue to review any feedback that helps it improver the experience it provides”.
After receiving the letter I contacted Network Rail’s Senior Public Affairs Manager who I was told would be leading the investigation into the concerns that I had raised about the delivery of the assisted travel service by the team at New Street.
Since getting in contact with them on September the 23rd, 2026 I am yet to receive a reply, so I currently do not have any confidence in the organisation taking steps to understand and learn from my concerns.
My message to the organisation is a clear one and is this, please reach out to me so that you can understand and learn from what I have experienced when travelling through one of the biggest railway stations in the Midlands as a wheelchair user.
Currently it feels like you don’t want to change the way in which the service is delivered and that is of course a real shame and always will be.
At present I am choosing not to use the assisted travel lounge at the station and this will continue until I have assurances from you as the organisation in charge of managing the station of what your plan is to ensure that the service will improve for the passengers using it.
When trying to keep some of my independence as a wheelchair user I rely on using the service, whilst travelling by rail across the midlands and in some cases beyond, and right now it is not worth using.
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It is only right that I take the opportunity to thank the team from West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway who have always ensured that I have been able to travel around the rail network with them safely and in comfort.
Your support with this has not gone unnoticed and is of course very much appreciated, the senior conductors on board trains operated by you are quite simply legends and 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 does not go unnoticed and is of course as always very much appreciated.
Cam
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