Greater Anglia, the East of England train operator, has launched a streamlined Passenger Assist booking process to enhance the travel experience for disabled and older passengers who require assistance.
The operator claims to be the first train operating company in the UK to launch the initiative.
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Passenger Assist is a national system designed to dismantle travel barriers for older and disabled individuals.
It offers a range of services, including journey planning, assistance with boarding and alighting from trains, navigating stations, and purchasing tickets.
This innovative approach allows passengers to request assistance simultaneously as they book their rail tickets directly on the Greater Anglia website at the post-purchase screen or “my bookings” page.
This eliminates the prior procedure, which required customers to navigate to a separate Passenger Assist website to request help.
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By GlobalDataThe new software integration simplifies the booking process, offering a faster and more convenient service for customers.
Greater Anglia accessibility manager Rebecca Richardson said: “Last year, we assisted more than 112,000 people with their journeys on Greater Anglia, and around 60,000 of those journeys were pre-booked.
“We are pleased to introduce these changes, which will make it quicker, easier and more convenient for customers who like to buy their tickets online. Passengers can also still book assistance over the phone or on the passenger assist website if they prefer.”
Each customer is required to have their own Passenger Assist account, and the new system currently applies only to Advance ticket bookings.
For other ticket types, assistance bookings must still be made over the phone or through the Transreport Passenger Assist website or app.
In December last year, the UK government unveiled its intention to bring three train operating companies, including South Western Railway, C2C, and Greater Anglia, back into public ownership by 2025.
This decision follows the government’s Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act and is a key component of a wider initiative aimed at revitalising and injecting funds into the railway industry.
The goal is to consolidate the management of rail infrastructure and services under one organisation.
