Grangemouth equality champion welcomes “life changing” move from ScotRail

Falkirk Herald columnist and online disability campaigner Emma Muldoon has praised ScotRail’s decision to drastically reduce the time required to arrange assisted travel on its railways.
Online travel blogger and disability campaigner Emma Muldoon has praised ScotRails move to reduce the time need for passengers to book assisted travelOnline travel blogger and disability campaigner Emma Muldoon has praised ScotRails move to reduce the time need for passengers to book assisted travel
Online travel blogger and disability campaigner Emma Muldoon has praised ScotRails move to reduce the time need for passengers to book assisted travel

Emma, who is confined to a wheelchair with Limp Girdle Muscular Dystrophy (LGMD), writes an online blog Simply Emma which has become an inspiration for people with disabilities.

Through her writing, online and in The Falkirk Herald and other publications, Emma is able to vent frustrations on lack of disabled access and thank those who have gone out of their way to help her on her many adventures home and abroad.

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She has become a leading figure in the disabled equality movement, making it onto the Shaw Trusts’ Power 100 list of the most influential disabled people in the UK in 2018.

A regular traveller, Emma was pleased to hear ScotRail’s announcement.

She said: “This is a massive step in the right direction, bringing much needed equality to the rail network. This will be life changing for many people and will encourage more disabled people to travel by train, myself included.”

ScotRail has reduced the time needed to arrange assisted travel, meaning customers can now book as little as two hours before their journey.

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Customers who need extra help when travelling on the ScotRail network now have more flexibility in arranging short notice trips and can now book as little as two hours before their journey.

This reduction in booking time makes ScotRail the fastest at delivering assisted travel journeys in the UK.

Andrew Marshall-Roberts, ScotRail access and inclusion manager, said: “We’re committed to making the railway accessible for all and the assisted travel service is just one of the ways we’re doing this.

“We aim to provide assistance to anyone who needs help when travelling on our network, whether this has been booked in advance or not. By reducing the notice period to two hours, customers now have more freedom to plan spur of the moment trips.

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“Over the past year our hardworking colleagues have enabled over 250,000 assisted journeys – making sure people who need a bit of help to travel receive it.”

ScotRail’s free assisted travel service is open to anyone who would like more support when travelling on one of its trains – from wheelchairs and prams to customers with visual impairments or large items of luggage.

The two-hour window allows ScotRail to make sure people are in place at both the start and end of the journey to help customers.

Visit www.scotrail.co.uk/plan-your-journey/accessible-travel for more information.

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