Disabled persons protection policy
Making rail accessible - helping older and disabled passengers
Making rail accessible
Disabled Persons Protection Passenger Guide (DPPP) - Easy Read (pdf) - updated October 2016
Station access guide and map (pdf)
Explore our sections below
Policy summary
Assisted travel service
- ramps to assist disabled passengers to get on and off trains
- an employee to provide a helping hand with getting on or off the train or climbing stairs
- an employee to provide guidance to a blind or visually impaired passenger
- a wheelchair to help with transfer between the station entrance and the train
- depending on the level of assistance or physical access required we can provide a taxi for disabled passengers travelling from an inaccessible station to one accessible to them.
- assisting a disabled person with luggage (when pre booked)
- assisting with making train connections at interchange stations
- accompany passengers throughout their entire journey
- Provide personal care, such as help with eating and drinking, taking medication or using the toilet
- carry heavy or excessive amounts of luggage
- provide assistance outside of our stations areas, i.e. into high streets or across roads
Booking assistance
- by calling our 24 hour Assisted travel service free phone number 0800 783 4524(Except Christmas day)
- online at southeasternrailway.co.uk
- by using text phone 0800 783 4548
Ticket Refund
- If your ticket is single, we will give you compensation of 100% of the value
- If your ticket is return, we will give you compensation of 50% of the value
Alternative accessible transport
- where a disabled passenger is unable to travel from a station because the station is inaccessible to them (e.g. because of a physical constraint);
- where, for whatever reason, substitute transport is provided to replace rail services (e.g. because of planned engineering works) that is inaccessible to disabled passengers;
- where there is disruption to services at short notice that, for whatever reason, makes services inaccessible to disabled passengers. (e.g. a lift is not working)
Passenger information
- in the appendix to this document
- in our station access guide map, available from staffed stations
- at southeasternrailway.co.uk
- from staff at our stations
- at nationalrail.co.uk
- or by calling 03457 48 49 50
Tickets and fares
Buying a ticket
- rail tickets can be purchased at any staffed station ticket office, from our self-service ticket machines or online at southeasternrailway.co.uk
- disabled passengers booking assistance can also purchase train tickets from our assisted travel service 0800 783 4524 or Textphone 0800 783 4548.
Penalty fares
Disabled persons railcard
- Disabled persons railcard office on 0345 605 0525 or Text phone 0345 601 0132 or www.disabledpersons-railcard.co.uk
- Southeastern customer services on 0345 322 7021
- Southeastern assisted travel on 0800 783 4524 (text phone 0800 783 4548)
- Concessionary fares ticket type discount
Season tickets
Oystercard
At the station
Station entrances
Aural and visual information
Information points and displays
All of our stations (even those with employees) have help points – these are large, white, round devices and are often placed on the wall, near to station entrances or on the platforms, that connect you directly to the National rail call centre where operators can provide the latest train running information.
Ticket vending machines
Ticket gates
Luggage
Lifts
Barrow crossings
Toilets
Ramps
Station catering facilities
On the train
Aural and visual information
Seats on trains
Priority seating card
On board toilets
Wheelchairs
We welcome all wheelchair users on our trains. Where possible, we recommend travelling in the designated wheelchair space, but appreciate that some passengers may prefer to transfer to one of the fold down seats available in this area.
Scooters
Train facilities
Mainline and High speed
- conductors or on board managers
- portable ramps for enabling wheelchair access
- automatic aural and visual passenger information displays within each coach
- two wheelchair spaces with low level passenger communication equipment
- colour contrasting fittings
- priority seating
- tactile surfaces
- door operation warning sound and light
- braille and tactile signage
- extra grab handles
- wheelchair accessible toilets
- wide doorways with sliding doors
- a conductor on board
- visual passenger information displays
- portable ramps for enabling wheelchair access
- two wheelchair spaces with low level passenger communication devices
- braille and tactile signage
- tactile surfaces
- standard size toilet
- colour contrasting fittings
- extra grab handles
- wide doorways with sliding doors
Metro
- portable ramps for enabling wheelchair access
- automatic aural and visual passenger information displays
- two wheelchair spaces with low level passenger communication equipment
- colour contrasting fittings
- tactile surfaces
- priority seating
- door operation warning sound and light
- braille and tactile signage
- extra grab handles
- wide doorways with sliding doors
- no toilets
Oxygen Cylinders
Making connections
Connections to other transport modes (buses, trams, taxis)
Disruption to facilities and services
- there are delays over five minutes
- station stops are cancelled or altered
- the train is being taken out of service before it reaches its final destination
Contact us
Alternative formats
- Printed copy
- Large Print
- Easy Read
- Audio
Station accessibility information and map
We publish a guide to facilities which can be found at the stations that we manage, including a map which shows our network with a symbol for each station showing its step free status. The information contained is correct at the time of printing and will be updated.