Has anyone found Passenger Assistance useful when travelling by train?

[Boxingshibes]

Has anyone used Passenger Assistance while travelling by train?
I've been having serious sight issues down to 20% in one eye and 60% in the other. ( have made previous posts)
I travel frequently for work and have recently got on the wrong train due to not seeing/hearing platform change.
If you do you it, have you found it useful?
How much help can they give you?

DH uses it for his DM. She is over 80, not esp
mobile and has done half a dozen journeys that involve a change. It has been great every time.

Hi OP I work for South Western railway in your case staff will be able and give you a guiding arm to lead you through the ticket barriers make sure you get to the right platform and assist you with getting on the train,we can also assist with any luggage.

And if you feel more comfortable we can use the ramp which most people tend to feel more comfortable with because of the gap between the train and the platform edge.

My Mil who is in her 80s now uses it. Without it she just wouldn't be able to come visit us. She always says staff are friendly and help her on to the train. If her platform changes or a delay happens they keep her informed and get her and her bag where she needs to be and makes sure she gets a seat on the train, even if its busy.

Yes.

i am disabled (uses wheelchair) and use it every time I travel.

they can use a ramp/get someone to take you to the platform and put you on the train. Most stations these days (manned ones anyway) have an assistance point to go to.

they then phone or radio through and someone meets you the other end.

Yep, my mum uses it - someone gets her on the train and off again at the other end. Recently she started to need a wheelchair to get through the station so they take her to the train in the wheelchair and there is one waiting the other side. She travels alot and only had one bad experience

Yes, they make sure you get on the right train. DM brings a bag bigger than her and finds negotiating stations hard. They make sure she’s on and in a seat. It’s a big relief. She feels less anxious and vulnerable too.

Definitely request assistance.

It isn’t foolproof, but helpful people often step in when it’s necessary.

Yes I've used it multiple times, either booking through the app or by phone by calling the specific rail company. I've only had one occasion where staff member with wheelchair wasn't present when I got off the train despite me booking it. Generally staff are helpful, friendly and it's a very reliable service.

I used it several times for an elderly relative, albeit pre Covid. They were absolutely fantastic, doing their absolute best to keep track of her when trains were diverted because of bad weather. Really helpful, kind and knowledgeable

Thanks all. I'm feeling a bit better about requesting help.

We feel the frustrations for passengers too that it isn't foolproof,this is largely due to despite many tocs taken back under government ownership they insist on using expensive agency staff in some stations who unfortunately aren't ramp trained,we always advise requesting passenger assistance in advance but even if this is not possible you are right there is always someone trained who is able to step up

Yes, I have a knee injury and can't walk fast enough to get to the train in the time they leave between announcing the platform and the train leaving (Euston is notorious for this). They're very helpful and it's easy to book on the passenger assist app.

One Christmas I took my mum to Reading station and they basically let me through the barriers to help her to the train because they had about 10 people in wheelchairs to get on. I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't been there (and her original train was cancelled, too, which is another consideration - I leapt onto the replacement train and got her a seat and then got back off again).

She is mobile but can't carry a case so she doesn't change trains, i don't think I'd ever trust the assistance to be there to get her from one train to another.

Also some rail companies such as SWR like to station skip so I don't know what happens if you are on the train and they decide they are not stopping at the station you were meant to be getting off at.

So book it, but have a back-up plan (like a daughter who's like a rat down a drainpipe to find a spare seat!)

I have used it several times and found it generally good. They will see you on to the train and give you a hand with luggage if needed. They will quickly see you to your seat but can be wary of staying on the train for long in case it departs. They will radio to your destination to have you met telling the next assistant where you are sitting. The same will happen if you have to change, they will see you on to the next.
I would say two things, make sure you have been to the loo, bought a coffee/paper etc, before you report for the assistance. One employee did say once that some passengers do impose upon them sometimes. The other thing, some well meaning assistants may put you in first class, which is lovely until, the next assistant looks for you in standard. I was left alone on the platform once when this happened, and had to fend for myself. The assistant ended up helping another passenger instead.

I used them a couple of weeks ago - I’ve had an operation and I had limited mobility and couldn’t carry my case. They were absolutely brilliant.

My ds is in a wheelchair and booms it via the app.

always spot on for us

Yes, a friend visiting us injured their foot and was worried about how to climb onto the train with a bag. We booked assistance and it was very helpful, including a special lounge to wait in, and help onto the train. Also arranged for help the other end, saved a lot of stress.

I’ve travelled by train a lot over the last 6 weeks and was very impressed by the service those needing assistance received.

Another wheelchair user

Been using these services for at least 15 years without a bother. Indispensable - go for it @Boxingshibes

My late mother did for about the last ten years of her life. Struggled to carry anything because of a back problem.

To be perfectly honest, one of their main considerations is making sure that frail, slow people make their connections so there’s no hold up to the train timetable. But that advantages everybody.

I've used it as I have limited mobility and was driven around Glasgow station in an electric cart thing with my luggage, great service.

My only issue is that sometimes the help point can be really far from the entrance of a station or you have to stand in a huge queue to announce that you are there waiting for your assistance.