A new trial throughout West Yorkshire will see LNER, Northern and TransPennine Express collaborate to provide journey experience improvements for blind customers throughout the region.
The new trial will be carried out as part of the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS).
The initiative is being explored following issues surrounding passengers who are registered blind experiencing trouble utilising automated ticket gates with their ENCTS pass, instead being directed to station staff for assistance.
Following feedback from passengers, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, train operators and Network Rail are trialling an approach that eliminates the need for blind passengers to seek help at ticket gates.
Ten participants in the trial will be issued with a temporary West Yorkshire travel pass (MCard) for three months, which will grant access through the automated ticket barriers.
Customers will still be able to seek support from station staff if they prefer.
The trial is set to run for three months beginning on 1 July and will see the pass supported at a number of stations in the region with ticket gate lines, including Bradford Interchange, Bradford Forster Square, Dewsbury, Huddersfield, Leeds and Wakefield Westgate.
Kathryn Milner said:My independence is really important to me and as someone who regularly travels by train I want to be able to get about without being hindered by a process that I know doesn’t apply to me – just because I’m visually impaired.
I’m glad I raised my experience with Northern and grateful to them for their efforts to bring about this trial, which I hope will bring about a permanent change.
