Rail regulator unveils proposals for new passenger assistance ratings for train companies

11 December 2024

The Office of Rail and Road is asking for views on a new annual assessment, to be launched in 2025, that will rate the performance of how train companies provide assistance to disabled passengers.

Mobility scooter user and other passengers at a railway station

ORR said the new assessment of train operators’ and Network Rail’s performance in delivering passenger assistance will strengthen the regulator’s ability to hold operators to account for poor performance.

It will also highlight good practice to share across the industry, and drive improvements in the provision of the service for passengers. Feedback from passengers, including what ORR gets from its regular passenger surveys, has highlighted that assistance needs to be delivered more reliably.

ORR has proposed that operators be assessed on two core areas: their actual delivery of assistance and their capability to improve. They will be measured across several factors, against three levels of performance - Upper, Middle and Lower – with a potential further assessment of whether an operator’s performance is improving or worsening.

More detail of the proposals are in the consultation document. They were developed through a process of informal engagement with disabled people’s organisations, industry bodies and other regulators.

The consultation will close at 17:00 on Friday 14 February 2025. Responses can be sent by online form, by email to ATP@orr.gov.uk, or by post to: Assistance Benchmarking Consultation, Office of Rail and Road, 25 Cabot Square, London, E14 4QZ.

Stephanie Tobyn, director of strategy, policy and reform, said:

“We know that when assistance is delivered it is usually done well, however when it fails, it has a significant impact on passengers. Some passengers requiring assistance have been placed in unnecessary and humiliating situations because of failures by train companies to adequately manage the assistance delivery processes.

“Our new assessment will be crucial in helping operators understand where and why they are falling short and what they need to do to improve.

“We welcome views on our proposed new assessment framework.”

Notes to editors

Rail Passenger Assistance: Benchmarking Train Operators’ Performance: consultation on framework
ORR will publish the finalised Assistance Benchmarking Framework in Spring 2025, after considering the consultation responses. The first annual assessment will then be published later in 2025.
All train and station operators must establish and comply with an Accessible Travel Policy (ATP) as a condition of their licence, setting out their provision for disabled people. Operators must secure ORR approval for their ATP, and we have issued guidance that defines minimum requirements, covering areas such as provision of assistance, staff training and passenger information. Passengers may either book assistance in advance (up to two hours ahead of the journey) or ‘turn-up-and-go’ (TUAG).
ORR – Passenger Assistance
The Office of Rail and Road is the independent economic and safety regulator for Britain’s railways, and regulator of performance and efficiency for England’s Strategic Road Network.