Liverpool Mayor Steve Rotherham joins RNIB for 'guided' train journey
Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram, in conversation with RNIB team members, Lindsay and Terri.
Liverpool City Region Mayor, Steve Rotheram, joined RNIB staff for a ‘guided’ train journey to get an insight into the experience of blind and partially sighted train users.
The group took the train from James Street, near his office headquarters, to Moorfields in the city centre, showcasing the accessibility features of Merseyrail. This is the rail network which serves Liverpool city and surrounding areas across Merseyside.
The route highlighted the challenges blind and partially sighted people face when travelling by train, as well as accessibility features that can help make travelling easier and more inclusive.
As a publicly owned and operated network under the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA), Merseyrail is setting a standard for accessible transport. Whilst the majority of their stations are accessible, work is underway to make all stations step-free, ensuring that all passengers – including those with sight loss or mobility challenges – can travel independently and confidently.
Mayor Rotheram said, “Our system now is about 80 per cent fully accessible and we are hoping that by the end of this decade it will be 100 per cent accessible for everybody to use. This not only gives people the opportunity to use public transport but gives them back their independence. That’s why we are so proud of what we are doing with public transport in the Liverpool City Region”.
Accessible streets are also essential for people with sight loss to start a train journey. We discussed our recent report, In My Way, which highlights the growing challenges blind and partially sighted people face in street and transport environments. We’re calling on local authorities to adopt our Key Principles of Inclusive Street Design and to ensure that all stations, and wider travel and transport infrastructure, meet the highest accessibility standards.
Mayor Rotheram took part in a short guided walk outside his office, an opportunity for us to highlight the importance of timely vision rehabilitation support to enable people to get around safely and independently.
Lindsay Coyle, RNIB Senior Campaigns Manager, said, “It is very encouraging to see the work that Mayor Rotheram and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority are doing to ensure accessibility for all, particularly around public transport. Whilst there is acknowledgement that more can be done, it is clear that there is real commitment to getting things right and we look forward to working alongside them to make this a reality for blind and partially sighted people.”
