Transport for Wales (TfW) has revealed that record numbers of people have used its passenger assistance service.
New figures show that more than 61,000 people pre booked assistance in 2023/24, a rise of 20 per cent on the previous year.
Customer Experience Director Jo Foxall said that the figures showed people had “more confidence to travel and access the help on offer”.
She commented: “We’ve introduced Travel Companions at some of our busiest stations and have had fantastic feedback on their agile approach to supporting customers both in person at stations and as part of the work they do for Customer Relations.
“Ultimately we want to help make public transport accessible to everyone regardless of their individual needs and our passenger assistance service is just one way of doing that.
“The rise in the number asking for assistance shows people do have more confidence in traveling and accessing the help on offer.”
Passenger assist is available for all customers who needs the additional support in order to be able to complete their journey safely and efficiently as they might not have travelled without it, particularly those with reduced mobility or visual impairments.
TfW called passenger assist an “essential means of rail travel”, adding that it wanted everyone to travel with confidence. Passengers planning to travel with TfW can request an assistance booking in advance – now up to two before their journey is due to start, at any time of the day.
They can also “turn up and go” without booking assistance in advance, or if they have made an online booking that has not yet been confirmed.
As well as the travel companions, TfW said that it had been investing in new changing places at key stations around the network at Shrewsbury, Bangor, Chester and Carmarthen.
Throughout Wales and the Borders, TfW’s Community Rail team is working with local schools, charities and groups with the Confidence to Travel scheme, making people aware of what we offer and the support we can give.
In addition to Passenger Assist, it also supports the Orange Wallet Scheme, which helps people who struggle to communicate on public transport, the Sunflower Lanyard Scheme, and the BSL app to make public transport more accessible.
