‘Beyond the Home’, a project led by Community Rail Cumbria and supported by the Northern Accessibility Innovation Scheme, was designed to support disabled people to overcome the challenges and barriers they encounter when travelling by train, through the process of designing a selection of bespoke resources.

Over several months a series of workshops were held, bringing together service users from three adult social care organisations within Cumberland Council: West House, Carlisle Day Services and Allerdale & Copeland Day Opportunities. The sessions provided the opportunity for service users to drive and shape the project, brainstorming, collating ideas and creating common themes on how the display panels and leaflets should look and be linked together. Research for the panels also provided the opportunity for the service users to travel along the Cumbrian Coast Line and explore the local area.  Some had never travelled by train before and the opportunities to engage with ticket office staff and conductors, use ticket machines, work with timetables and learn about rail safety built individual self-confidence and raised awareness amongst the group about the benefits of accessible public transport.

The finished interlinked panels, which use Makaton and other visual aids, are now displayed at selected stations along the line, promoting active travel for all and assisting people with disabilities to travel safely, confidently and independently. The service users involved in the project have continued to use the train to travel together, strengthening new friendships and reducing the risk of isolation.

Recognising that accessing the railways is particularly complex for young people with disabilities, Platform worked with specialist settings, teachers, and their students to create bespoke packages to help break down perceived barriers to rail travel and empower people with disabilities to use the railway in the future.

The Platform team held meetings to gain an understanding of students’ needs before preparing appropriate and accessible workshops. For some, this involved journey planning which helped address barriers to travel. For others, such as groups with non-verbal students, it involved play-based activities, where safety messaging could be delivered through dressing up and role play. The workshops served as the precursor to train trips, empowering the students to shape the experience by choosing their own destinations.

Over 300 students from 16 special schools and day centres enjoyed 24 fantastic days out by train, including to Gloucester Cathedral, a paint festival, and the beach – even to eating lunch at a restaurant of their choosing to help students practice ordering food.

Platform will be continuing with the strands of work laid out in ‘This Mighty Traveller’ to further connect people with disabilities and special needs to the railways, achieving their aims of bringing the positive experience and possibilities of train travel alive.