Accessible Transport Policy Commission – Roundtable: Rail Services Bill

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson will chair the Accessible Transport Policy Commission‘s latest roundtable on the Government’s Rail Services Bill, with a keynote speech from Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill CBE, Minister of State for Rail.

The first part of the meeting will feature a presentation from Luis Campos Ferreira of the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers on ncat’s Invisible Barriers report. This study examines the negative attitudes that disabled people often experience from members of the public on the transport system and explores what can be done to encourage more positive behaviours.  

During the second part of the meeting, the Commission will discuss the government’s Railways Bill.  

Before the general election, the Labour Party published its plan to Getting Britain Moving: Labour’s Plan to Fix Britain’s Railways. This aimed to “create a unified and simplified governance structure that places passengers at the heart of the mission, objectives and incentives for the railway, and places train operators under public ownership and control.” The plan listed accessibility as one of the six key principles that would guide these changes.

Attendees will be invited to reflect on what success looks like and how we will know if the new railway system has lived up to its potential for disabled people.

The roundtable will feature speaking contributions from:
Craig Alexander, Accessibility: Rolling Stock Lead, and Alison Smith, Accessibility and Inclusion Lead at Shadow Great British Railways  

• Matthew Thomas, Director of Public Affairs, and Judith Turner, Deputy Chief Ombudsman at the Rail Ombudsman 
• Tony Jennings, Co-Chair of Avanti West Coast’s Accessibility Panel
• Mark Cutter, Independent Chair of Northern’s Accessibility User Group 
• Stephen Brookes MBE, Transport Policy Adviser at Disability Rights UK 
• Alex Robertson, CEO at Transport Focus 

For more information about the Accessible Transport Policy Commission and its Autumn roundtable, please contact clive.gilbert@policyconnect.org.uk.