Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what (a) steps the Government is taking to ensure the safety of blind and partially sighted people at train stations and (b) assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of making tactile edging on platforms mandatory.

Operators involved in the management of stations are responsible for ensuring the safety of all passengers on the premises. The Office of Rail and Roads (ORR) is the safety regulator of Britain’s railway and can take enforcement action if these standards are not met.

There are clear safety and accessibility benefits of installing platform edge tactiles. Whenever the industry installs, replaces or renews platform infrastructure they must install appropriate tactile surfaces. Network Rail has also been asked to develop a programme to ensure all platforms have them installed as quickly as possible.