I have blogged on a number of occasions over the last couple of years about the service that I receive as a wheelchair user from West Midlands Trains when travelling on the rail network.
I recently visited Villa Park to watch Aston Villa take on Everton in the Barclay’s premier league using the rail network and It wasn’t a nice experience.
When I returned home from that match I wrote a blog outlining that I had been on the receiving end of another dreadful experience at the hands of West Midlands Trains.
I spoke about the fact that I wasn’t supported by the staff of WMT (West Midlands Trains) to board the next available train from Witton back to Birmingham New Street following the conclusion of the match.
I also recalled that I wrote to the Minister for Rail and HS2, Huw Merriman MP in April this year about my experiences of travelling with West Midlands Trains across the rail network as a wheelchair user.
The minister responded to my letter dated the 9th of April 2023 on the 21st of July stating that his departmental officials had asked officials from WMT (West Midlands Trains) to meet with me to discuss the concerns that I am attempting to raise.
I have not received any correspondence from West Midlands Trains since they were asked by the Department for Transport to arrange a meeting with myself.
This is not the first time that I have been let down by WMT because they failed to protect both myself and a friend whilst onboard one of there services from Birmingham New Street to Hereford in August last year.
I forced to enlist the help of BBCWM on that occasion to call out the failings of WMT which is something that I shouldn’t have had to do.
I have been thinking about what solutions I will present to West Midlands Trains when I meet with them to discuss the issues that disabled Aston Villa supporters face on a weekly basis when using the railway to travel to and from matches at Villa Park.
There are 4 key solutions to combating the issues that I face and they are as follows:
- Ramps should be available at Witton with trained staff ready to operate them prior to the trains arrival so that supporters requiring assistance can board trains with ease in a timely manner.
- WMT staff should either be aware of where the accessible sections of trains are located prior to there arrival at the station or not communicate information to disabled supporters upon the trains arrival at the station as this will complicate our ease in boarding trains home.
- Security staff/ those employed by WMT should protect disabled supporters requiring the use of a ramp once they are in position close to the area where the correct door will be located so that we can board the train first where possible.
- WMT staff at Witton should call ahead to the Assisted Travel Lounge (ATL) at Birmingham New Street to advise them that there are supporters requiring the use of a ramp once we have arrived at the station from Witton.
I hope that official’s from WMT will listen to my concerns and the potential solutions that I have come up with in an attempt to fix the current issues that I face.
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I know that this is a very short blog on a subject that I have written about so many times before but I feel that it is necessary in order to keep the issues that I face when attending matches at Villa Park in the public eye.
I would like to end in my normal way by taking the opportunity to thank each and everyone of you, my readers and followers for taking the time out of your busy schedules to read my blogs each week.
Cam
JustBeingCP 