Network Rail invests £800,000 in new Assisted Travel Lounge at Manchester Piccadilly station
Manchester Piccadilly station has opened a new Assisted Travel Lounge for passengers that require help to get on and off trains at the station.
Network Rail has invested £800,000 to create the new Assisted Travel Lounge by connecting a series of disused rooms behind the former passenger assistance waiting area near platform one.
The space has been transformed into a quiet and welcoming waiting area for passengers with additional mobility and sensory needs, with a dedicated team on hand to help.
The lounge includes accessible seating with integrated space for wheelchairs; an accredited Changing Places toilet facility; an accessible toilet; a sensory space for people who find stations overwhelming; a staffed welcome desk; facilities for service animals, and British Sign Language information screens.
Standard accessible toilets do not meet the needs of all disabled people. A Changing Places toilet facility has a height-adjustable adult-sized changing bench, a ceiling mounted hoist, a centrally placed toilet with space either side, non-slip floor, a height-adjustable washbasin, and an emergency alarm.
The lounge was designed with the guidance of Manchester Piccadilly’s disability task and finish group, which includes disabled people, their carers and advocates, to ensure the space meets the needs of those who will use it.
The lounge is accessed through its own doors in the station’s side entrance lobby from the car park and will be open between 7.15am and 9pm from Monday to Saturday. The Changing Places facility is open 24 hours a day on request.
Scott Green, Station Manager at Piccadilly, said: “It’s great to see the new Assisted Travel Lounge open and we believe it will transform the way passengers access rail travel at Manchester Piccadilly.
“For some, travelling through a busy railway station can be a very daunting experience, so these new state-of-the-art facilities will make a huge difference to them, providing a friendly space for people to wait and get the help they need from a dedicated team. It’s part of our ongoing commitment to provide the best possible service for passengers with additional mobility and sensory needs.”
Stephen Brookes MBE, Disability Rights UK rail policy adviser, said: “We continue to build on our close cooperative relationship with Network Rail and Manchester Piccadilly by being invited to give advice on all aspects of access to the station for disabled people. The success for us and indeed for Network Rail is that we help get it right from the start, so we are pleased to welcome this great facility.”
Last year, more than 75,000 people used the Assisted Travel service at Manchester Piccadilly station, it allows people to book assistance in a variety of ways, including the Passenger Assistance Smartphone App.
In other news, Northern announced that Eight Passenger Assist Points would be installed across its stations earlier this year to help make travel easier and more accessible for people with accessibility needs.
The Network Rail station team works closely with train operators to help passengers who need assistance getting between trains and the station concourse.
Major train operators which serve Manchester Piccadilly have welcomed the opening of the new Assisted Travel Lounge for their customers.
Craig Harrop, Northern regional director, said: “We welcome the new Assisted Travel Lounge at Manchester Piccadilly. Making the railway as accessible as possible is something everyone across the industry supports and I’m pleased our passengers using the station can benefit from this new facility.”
