Physical and cognitive barriers continue to limit disabled people’s ability to travel by train, which has a downward effect on their access to vital services such as education, healthcare, employment, or leisure. Cadence Innova has partnered with the Department for Transport, to help bridge this accessibility gap.
The UK is home to 16 million disabled people, representing 24% of the population, according to the Family Resources Survey 2021/22. Yet, for many, the nation’s rail network remains a daunting and often inaccessible space.
The issue is highlighted by the Department for Transport’s findings in 2021, which revealed that disabled people travel less, use public transport less, and feel less confident when traveling compared to non-disabled individuals. In this regard, the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail emphasised that people with mobility impairments make 2.5 fewer trips by train than those without such limitations. This disparity extends beyond travel – research by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in 2022 found that disabled people face significant barriers to accessing goods and services, with transport standing out as the most prominent obstacle.
One initiative already making a difference is Passenger Assist, a service provided by Train Operating Companies (TOCs) to help customers who require assistance throughout their journey. Passenger Assist brings together 38 organisations across the industry, including TOCs and contact centres, to coordinate and deliver essential support.
By creating a standardised solution across TOCs, Passenger Assist has made it easier for the rail industry to respond to customer needs effectively. However, there is still much work to be done to give disabled people the same access to rail travel as their non-disabled counterparts.
The journey to change
Achieving this vision requires more than just removing barriers – it’s about creating a rail network that empowers disabled people to travel with confidence, participate fully in society, and enjoy the same opportunities as everyone else.
To translate this vision into everyday life, for the past five years, Cadence Innova, part of Transform, has been supporting the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) in managing the Passenger Assist Programme, driving critical improvements to ensure a seamless and accessible rail network for all.
This transformation has empowered passengers to book assistance with greater ease and flexibility – be it directly with TOCs, through contact canters, or via the Passenger Mobile App or Passenger Web Interface. Additionally, the service accommodates passengers who need assistance without pre-booking, through the Turn Up and Go option. On the operations side, TOCs leverage tools like the Staff Mobile App and Staff Web Interface to efficiently manage and deliver assistance, significantly reducing the risk of service failures.
From legacy to leading-edge
When the programme began in 2020, the Passenger Assist service was hampered by outdated legacy technology that fell short of passenger needs. TOCs faced challenges in providing consistent and reliable assistance due to system limitations. To address this, the rail industry took decisive action by engaging a new supplier to develop a modern, standardised technology solution.
While the technological upgrade was a key milestone, the transformation required more than just a new system—it demanded a cultural change across a highly complex industry. TOCs, contact centres, and frontline staff needed to embrace new processes, technologies, and a unified vision for accessibility.
During the completion of Phase 4 of the improvement programme, the industry acknowledged that more needed to be done to achieve a rail network accessible to all. This required further investment and ambition to come up with solutions that would contribute to further closing this gap. As a result, a compelling business case was needed to secure funding for a fifth phase of the transformation programme, with the primary objective of enhancing safety and increasing confidence for disabled customers.
To achieve the expected outcome, a clear roadmap for improvement was laid out, offering the rail industry multiple fully costed options, each tied to expected benefits whilst establishing a strategic vision and stakeholder engagement plan to align key players, from TOCs and regulators to government officials and passenger advocacy groups.
In an industry marked by multiple stakeholders, gaining buy-in from senior decision-makers, including the Minister of State, was essential. The roadmap also ensured readiness for implementation, including a Target Operating Model, a new service development lifecycle, and comprehensive training processes to support the rollout.
Navigating complex change
Putting together a team with extensive experience in strategy, complex stakeholder management and public policy development, the consultants worked with a wide range of stakeholders to understand the root cause and to define a timely and relevant solution.
To ensure a clear path ahead, a series of costed options that provided decision-makers with structured and data-driven choices were developed, leading to multiple roadmaps outlining how the industry would respond to customer expectations under each option.
The final roadmap received unanimous acceptance, with no challenges raised during governance approvals – a testament to the rigor and comprehensiveness of the process.
Stakeholder inclusivity was key – input was gathered from 26 Train Operating Companies and customer advocacy organisations, ensuring diverse perspectives were reflected in the final proposal.
Using HM Treasury Five Case Model, a robust Business Case that provided decision-makers with a clear rationale for funding was crafted and consequently supported to provide detailed understanding of the tight timelines and requirements for approval, ensuring all materials met governance standards.
Steering the Business Case through a complex governance process, in some cases addressing conflicting views between operators and securing buy-in, the team tailored governance papers and presentations to the unique needs of each approving body and prepared senior executives within the client organisation with briefing notes and 1:1 preparatory sessions.
Once the Business Case was endorsed by governance (March 2024), focus was on getting funding approved by DfT. The team strengthened foundations for implementation by developing a new operating model for the programme, defined new team structures, roles, and processes to support delivery, including the improvement of the service development life cycle, creation of readiness materials, and design of staff training materials for the industry.
A new chapter in accessibility: Phase 5
100% of the required funding was approved by DfT for a 25-month roadmap as announced by the Minister of State at the House of Lords on 7 November 2024 – highlighting its significance to campaigners and stakeholders alike and underscoring the Government’s commitment to transforming the railway. This next phase is set to be the most ambitious and transformative yet.
This funding and strategic alignment will not only ensure compliance with the Accessible Travel Policy but also restore confidence among disabled passengers who rely on the rail network.
Phase 5 is set to provide better tools to the industry to reduce the number of failed assistances while enhancing customer and regulator confidence. Beyond immediate compliance, the work also sets a long-term vision for assistance services, equipping the industry with prioritisation tools and methodologies for ongoing improvements – creating a rail network that empowers disabled passengers, restores trust, and sets a new standard for inclusivity, and signalling a more accessible future for all.