Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether a train operator has an obligation under its Disabled People’s Protection Policy to ensure that ramps which are fit for purpose are made available to facilitate the boarding or leaving of a train by wheelchair users whether assistance has been booked in advance or not.

The provision of manual boarding ramps for access and egress to a passenger train is mandatory for regulated rail vehicles where the step/gap between the train and the platform is greater than the permitted maximums. As a condition of an operator’s licence, a train company must publish a Disabled People’s Protection Policy (DPPP), which is approved by the Office of Rail and Roads.

The DPPP must demonstrate commitments to provide assistance to disabled passengers who need a ramp, booked in advance and not.