Better than most other stations
4
4
Date of visit: October 2019
I have experience of challenges around: a hidden impairment, dexterity or coordination, moving around, seeing, speaking or communicating and understanding.
Overall Rating
Good
Staff are very helpful. Limitations due to the listed building can make a visit difficult for someone with impaired mobility for various reasons. The station would benefit from work on the outside to improve access.
Disabled Access In and Around
Good
There are barriers to get through but there is usually a member of staff at the wider gate which is usually open. Some platforms are level access. Others have a steep ramp or lift. The lift is quite far from the platform and at one side there is a step. the lift is 16 person but quite small. There are tactile paving close to the edge of the platform. There are help buttons at each platform.
Parking & Transport
Good
We walked. The train station is right near the bus station and not far from the city centre. There are mostly always taxis sitting outside and limited disabled parking spaces out the front and back of the station. The downside about walking is there are missing dropped kerbs and a wheelchair user has to go through the car park to get to the dropped kerbs then crossing at the other side. If you try to go left to stay on a pavement, the steps of the station hotel block the route and there is no dropped kerb to get on or off the pavement. When we went there was a taxi blocking the zebra crossing. If you want to go right there is an unsafe junction to cross at the bottom of that pavement. The area around here should be made safer for pedestrians and people with impaired mobility.
Accessible Toilets
Poor
The accessible toilets are inside the gender specific toilets which isn't great for someone with a PA or Carer of the opposite sex. There is a tight corner to turn to get into the male toilets. There is an automatic door on the toilet doors.
Staff
Excellent
Staff were and always are helpful and friendly and willing to go the extra mile where they can whether assistance is booked or not. They were more than happy to allow us to look around the station and knew we were with Euan's guide to review the station.
