It has been decided by West Midlands Trains that The Hawthorns and Coventry Arena is set to benefit from accessibility signage following it’s success at the stations in Witton and Aston, near to the home of Aston Villa.
The signage at Witton was installed after months of consultation on the 31st of January this year with Aston following suit on the 8th of May ready for Villa to play in next seasons UFEA Champions League.
There was new guidance brought in by Network Rail recently around signage being installed on fences, shelters and any other external structures on platforms , this means that not all signage will be mirrored at all of the stations.
There is one piece of signage that will definitely be installed at both stations and that is the blue and white box on the platform floor.
The signage will also include the dimensions of a standard wheelchair or mobility scooter that can fit in most accessible seating areas on trains.
I strongly believe that it is vital that the wording “for mobility assistance, please wait here” is included so that users and others at the station can identify what the signage is for.
This move by WMT (West Midlands Trains) should help supporters of both clubs travel to and from there clubs ground with ease by train.
It would be nice if the signage could benefit the residents living around The Hawthorns and Coventry Arena who require assistance to board and disembark services.
My message to all Coventry City and West Bromwich Albion supporters who use the rail network on match-day’s is this, once the signage has been installed at your station please be mindful of where you stand on the platforms as your fellow supporters with mobility issues will require access to the signage at all times.
The signage needs to be seen by passengers, event station staff and train crew at all times especially on match-days.
If you are a disabled supporter of either club and want to travel by rail to matches please be rest assured the signage will make your experience better pre and post match when you are trying to move around the network.
My message to those living around both stations is this, I hope that you will be able to use the rail network independently and with ease once the signage is in place at your local station.
I don’t know when the signage will be installed at either of the stations, as this is still being determined by the operator.
If you are a football supporter of either club or local resident living near to one of the two stations, remember you can book assisted travel in a number of different way’s:
- By Phone– 0800 024 8998 or by using Next Generation Text – 18001 0800 024 8998
- Online: https://booking.passengerassistance.com.
- App: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/passenger-assistance/id1542190496.
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I would once again like to thank the incredible team at WMT (West Midlands Trains) for making my accessibility signage dream a reality in the last few months, I have loved being involved in this project.
Thank you must also go to you, my incredible readers and followers who continually read my posts each week once they have been published, it doesn’t go unnoticed and is very much appreciated.
Cam
JustBeingCP 