Overview

I had a longer-than-expected stay at Crewe Station due to a cancelled train, which gave me just enough time to collect some thoughts and photos for this review. In all, I found the station to be quite modern, with a few places to grab a coffee, a Changing Places toilet and helpful staff.

Transport & Parking

I arrived at the station by train as part of my two-train trip to Cardiff. Although I didn't visit the car parks, there are two with a total of 32 accessible parking spaces and 779 standard spaces, though it appears there are no concessions for Blue Badge holders. There is a drop-off zone for disabled passengers but, as I didn't visit the car park or see the drop-off, I won't leave a rating here.

Access

The station has step-free access to all platforms by way of lifts and a bridge over the platforms. The lift buttons have braille markings and an induction loop, and they are spacious enough to fit two wheelchair users and several additional people. Induction loops operate on the platforms, in the waiting room and at the ticket office, which also has a lowered counter. The ticket machines can be accessed from a seated height. Wheelchairs are available for use, and there is plenty of seating on the platforms, at the bar and at the cafés in the station. I found that all of the cafés and the bar have heavy manual doors, which made it difficult to access them when in the station. I'd change my score if automatic doors were installed.

Toilets

This toilet has just about everything you'd expect from a Changing Places facility. The toilet can be found between Platform 6 and Platform 11, which, despite their numbers, are right next to each other. There's a ramp to the front of the toilet, with grab rails on both sides, leading up to the door and the RADAR key lock. The lock is not on the door but on the wall to the right. Turning the key to the right opens the outward-opening door. From the inside, there are two buttons on the wall—one to lock and one to unlock the door. Each button has braille instructions on a circular panel above. The toilet is spacious, as one would anticipate, with a ceiling track hoist, shower and adjustable changing bed. The sink is height adjustable, using the button on the right of the sink. The basin is deep and features a sensor tap and contrasting grab rails on either side. The toilet is on the rear wall and has a contrasting toilet seat with contrasting rails on both sides. There is space for a left-side transfer and perhaps space for a right-side transfer, though it may not be possible for some due to the limited space. There are three red emergency cords in the toilet: one at the door, which hung to the floor, and two at the toilet, both of which were wrapped around grab rails. This presents a real danger if someone were to fall. The lower score reflects the cords being tied up and the lack of a colostomy shelf in this toilet. There is an accessible toilet on Platform 5, but it was out of order during my visit.

Staff

The staff were very helpful, supporting me when I had to take an alternative route due to my next train being cancelled. They made sure I boarded my next train safely - though they did arrive at my first train a little later than was comfortable.

Photos