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| Graphic Standard for the Emergency Passenger Alarm used for Central line trains - © TfL |
A Freedom of Information request to Transport for London (TfL) has advised wheelchair users to use the emergency passenger alarm at the station where they expect to depart where the staff failed to turn up with a wheelchair ramp to help them exit the train.
TfL has also posted detailed procedures when the wheelchair user activates the alarm at the station.
Here's the text published by TfL from a Freedom of Information request.
Request ID: FOI-1797-2425
Date published: 27 September 2024
Procedure for no staff with Ramp at destination station
Question 1: What is the official advice/instruction given to mobility aids users via TfL communication (guides, websites etc), representatives and agents (Customer service, Travel mentors etc) to resolve a situation where a requested mini ramp or boarding ramp fails to meet with a mobility aid user at their destination?
Answer: We publish travel tips for passengers using our services safely on our website here:
https://tfl.gov.uk/transport-accessibility/wheelchair-access-and-avoiding-stairs
This includes the following guidance:
There is an emergency passenger alarm at a reachable height in the accessible carriage should you need it. You can use this to speak with the driver if you need help
This information is also shared with customers via our Customer Contact Centre and Travel Mentoring team as required and appropriate.
Question 2: If the vehicle departs the destination before the mobility aid user deboards, what is the advice/instruction?
Answer: We offer a turn up and go staff assistance service to all customers on London Underground, London Overground and Elizabeth line services. More information about our turn up and go service can be found here:
https://tfl.gov.uk/transport-accessibility/help-from-staff
As part of our turn up and go service, we always advise customers with accessibility requirements to make themselves known to a member of staff at their departure station so we can check their planned route is free from disruption (e.g. lift faults) and also check that there are staff available to assist the customer off the train at their destination station and any interchange stations, including deploying a boarding ramp or mini ramp if required.
The station staff at the departure station will notify the customer’s destination station when the customer is on board the train (including sharing the train number, customer’s car position and the customer’s estimated arrival time) so they can arrange to have a member of staff waiting on the platform to assist the customer off the train with a boarding ramp or mini ramp if required. This process is repeated for each ‘leg’ of the customer’s journey.
If a customer wishes to get off a train using a boarding ramp or mini ramp, and a member of staff is not waiting on the platform to assist them off when they arrive at the station, there is an emergency passenger alarm at a reachable height in the accessible carriage(s) should the customer need it. Customers can use this alarm to speak with the driver if they need help at their destination station including alerting the driver that they have not been helped off the train with a boarding ramp or mini ramp as originally requested.
When a customer presses the emergency passenger alarm, the driver will speak with the customer to understand what assistance is required. The driver will then contact the Service Control team who are responsible for managing train services on the line. The Service Control team will in turn contact the destination station to arrange for a member of staff to come to the platform with a boarding or mini ramp and help the customer off the train.
If the train has left the customer’s intended destination station, Service Control will liaise with the next accessible station team on the line to alert them that there is a wheelchair user on the train who needs assistance off the train. They will arrange for a member of staff to help the customer off the train, and help the customer re-plan their journey if required. This may involve arranging turn up and go assistance for the customer so they can travel back to their original planned destination station or arranging an accessible taxi at TfL’s expense to take the customer to their original planned destination station (or any other accessible station in the Greater London area) – whichever is quicker and more convenient for the customer.
Question 3: Please provide instructions for all relevant TfL services (Tube, London Overground, Elizabeth line etc) in a table.
And;
Question 4: If there is no official advice/instruction, please state the reason.”
Answer: The process outlined above is the same for London Underground, London Overground and Elizabeth Line services – i.e. the customer should use the on-board emergency passenger alarm to speak with the driver who will arrange the appropriate assistance off the train.
As the DLR is step-free from train to platform, customers can board and alight independently without using a boarding ramp.
As for railway services, the trains have the green emergency door release handle to open the doors on one side of the train to prevent the train from leaving the station.
Delays due to missed assistance for wheelchair users also disrupt services as the train is held at the station, making it inconvenient for other passengers as they may end up late for work, appointments, etc.
This is why there should be an adequate amount of staff at stations to provide assistance to deploy ramps at stations for wheelchair users and to keep disruptions to a minimum.
I have posted an article providing suggestions on how to improve wheelchair assistance for railway stations.
Update: I have provided further advice for wheelchair users travelling by rail in a separate article.
As for the penalties for improper use of the emergency alarm on the Underground trains, the Mayor of London stated in his Question Time in 2023:
"Since 2016, TfL has not pursued a prosecution or issued any penalties related to improper use of the emergency alarm.
TfL works closely with the British Transport Police to tackle anti-social behaviour on the network, including misuse of emergency alarms."
I hope that the information is useful, and you're welcome to share my article to raise awareness because the advice by TfL is useful for wheelchair users, so they know that when there's a missed assistance at the station for a wheelchair ramp, they won't be penalised for using the emergency alarm to attract the driver's attention.
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