Transreport analysis defines transport performance by support for passengers with complex needs
A new report from Transreport has revealed that when transport systems are designed to reliably support passengers with access needs, they become more efficient, predictable and resilient for everyone.
Transreport’s analysis of more than 10 million passenger assistance requests provides a powerful insight into how well the rail network serves its passengers. The data makes clear that the true measure of a transport system is not peak-time punctuality or headline performance metrics, but how effectively it supports passengers with the most complex needs.
Covering over 1.6 million passengers and more than three million bookings since the launch of the passenger assistance platform, the analysis reveals a consistent pattern: when transport systems are designed to reliably support passengers with access needs, they become more efficient, predictable and resilient for everyone.
Jay Shen, CEO of Transreport, said: “Assisted journeys expose operational weaknesses faster than any KPI. If a system can consistently meet the needs of passengers who rely on coordination, information and reliability, it will perform better for everyone.”
Passenger assistance allows passengers to share their access needs in advance through a single digital profile, giving operators structured, reliable information before travel takes place. At scale, this turns accessibility from a reactive process into an operational planning tool.
Insights from millions of journeys show that operational pressure becomes visible early, such as issues with staffing, coordination, or information flow consistently surface first in assisted journeys.
Insights also show predictability improves performance, stations handling high volumes of assistance can achieve strong completion rates when information is shared in advance. And that frontline teams perform better with clarity. Clear, consistent passenger data reduces last-minute intervention and operational stress.
Rather than adding complexity, accessibility highlights where systems are already fragile — and where targeted improvements deliver immediate gains.
The data also shows a direct relationship between reliability and demand. Approximately 61 per cent of passenger assistance users say they would not have travelled without confirmed assistance in place.
When journeys become predictable, confidence increases, and journeys that would otherwise be lost begin to happen.
For operators, this translates into fewer abandoned trips, higher customer satisfaction, and better utilisation of existing services without additional capacity.
“Accessibility doesn’t create operational burden — uncertainty does.” Shen added. “When uncertainty is removed, services run more smoothly.”
Beyond individual journeys, Passenger Assistance generates anonymised insights that help operators identify pressure points across the network, understand patterns in access needs, assess performance during disruption, and make evidence-based decisions on staffing, training and infrastructure.
In an environment shaped by ageing populations, rising expectations and regulatory change, including the European Accessibility Act, this data is becoming a critical input to operational decision-making.
Transreport argues that organisations treating accessibility as a compliance exercise are missing a far larger opportunity. After 10 million requests, the evidence suggests accessibility functions as a stress test for operational design, revealing weaknesses and accelerating improvement.
Transreport states that the conclusion is clear, systems that work for assisted journeys are systems that work better.
In December 2025 the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) published its first annual benchmarking report on train and station operators’ delivery of passenger assistance.
