HL Deb 27 April 2004 vol 660 cc84-6WA
Baroness Masham of Ilton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will encourage train operators to ensure that trains carry ramps so that disabled passengers can disembark from trains at unstaffed stations or in an emergency; and [HL2488]

Why some train operators have installed low tables, under which people using wheelchairs cannot put their legs, at some of the places allocated to disabled passengers on trains. [HL2489]

Lord Davies of Oldham

We have introduced regulations under Part 5 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 requiring all new trains entering service from 1 January 1999 to be accessible to disabled people. During the past two and half years, over 1,400 new fully accessible rail vehicles have entered service and there will be over 1,000 more within the next 18 months.

The Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations specify a range of features to help disabled people, including those who need to travel in wheelchairs. The regulations require the operator of a regulated rail vehicle to supply a boarding device (generally a ramp) to enable wheelchair users to board and alight from the train. The ramp can be either stowed on the train or kept at the station but it must in either case be made available for use when a disabled passenger needs it.

The regulations also require a table to be provided for passengers using the wheelchair accessible space. They stipulate that the lowest point on the underside of the tabletop in a regulated vehicle must be not less than 720 mm vertically above the floor of the vehicle. This dimension is prescribed to ensure that a wheelchair user is provided with comfortable legroom below the table when it is in use.

I am not aware that any new trains are being fitted with tables that do not comply with these specifications. If this were the case, the operators would be in breach of the regulations.

Trains that came into service before the regulations were introduced are not subject to these requirements as a matter of law although many do offer good levels of access both to wheelchair users and other disabled people.