Through partnership working with community organisations, we are reflecting the Welsh Government’s ‘Connected Communities’ Strategy to tackle loneliness, social isolation and build a more connected society where everyone can play their part.
We do this by delivering purposeful accessibility trips to help groups of people of all ages gain confidence in using the railway.
We need to understand people’s barriers to using the train. Some people may have never travelled by train or travel infrequently - we are here to help.
How does it work?
We engage with community based organisations to raise awareness of the rail industry's 'Passenger Assist' scheme. The scheme provides support to people who may require assistance with planning their journey, at the station or on the train. Details of our 'Passenger Assist' scheme can be found here.
In the first instance, we deliver a 20 minute presentation to provide an overview of the Passenger Assist scheme, followed by a question and answer discussion with participants. The presentation is currently being delivered on line via Microsoft Teams or Zoom.
At a later date, we invite participants to join us on a familiarisation journey* where we discuss scenarios such as how to purchase a ticket, where to find timetable information and who to ask for assistance if required.
Both outward and return journeys are accompanied and normally take up to 45 minutes. An example of a familiarisation trip previously organised in partnership with the Macular Society can be found here.
To obtain further information, please contact Geraint at the Community Rail Team at community@tfw.wales