Accessibility & Passenger Assist

If you have a disability that means you need assistance from our staff, then you are able to book assistance at 03457 225 225, through our web form, in an LNER Travel Centre. Where possible, please let us know at least two hours before you journey or where your journey takes place in the morning, by 22:00 the day before. If you cannot book in advance you can let station staff know on the day.

If you need assistance lifting a pram onto the train but do not have a disability, you should ask a member of staff on the platform/station rather than booking assistance.

If the pram is a mobility aid/wheelchair for the person using it then assistance can be requested the same way as for any other wheelchair user.

If you have a disability that means you need assistance from our staff, then you are able to book assistance at 03457 225 225, through our web form, in an LNER Travel Centre, or if you cannot book in advance you can let station staff know on the day. This includes if you are unable to carry your own bags onto the train as a result of your disability or medical condition. 

We do not offer a luggage service, Passenger Assist is only for customers who need it due to a disability/medical condition. Luggage trolleys are available in many of our stations.

If you contact our Assisted Travel team on 03457 225 225, as well as booking assistance they can arrange reservations for you. For some train operators, including all LNER services, we will be able to book wheelchair spaces or priority seats if requested. Please be aware that some train operators do not have reservations and as such we cannot reserve preferences, however, we can inform staff in advance to help find you a priority seat or wheelchair space on the day.

Our trains have a size restriction for both wheelchairs and mobility scooters of 1200mm x 700mm. This is to ensure you can board and travel safely and comfortably and is in line with both National Rail Conditions of Travel and international legislation. 

Regrettably, as many other forms of transport such as buses and taxis have similar restrictions for safety and size reasons, we are unable to offer alternative transport. If your scooter can be folded, we can offer you the use of a station wheelchair at our stations and carry the scooter as luggage instead.

If you need a wheelchair space or priority seat, we recommend booking your seat by contacting our Assisted travel team. 

All LNER train services offer reservations, including wheelchair space reservations. However, where a train operator doesn’t offer reservations, staff will find an available wheelchair space for you on the day where one is available.

English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) passes (or bus passes as they are often referred to) are not valid on all trains. There are some exceptions to this where these passes can be used in local areas, subject to local authority policy. 

These are valid on some LNER train services in local areas, but please check with your local authority who issued the pass as to whether it can be used on trains in your area.

If you have a disability, then you may be entitled to a Disabled Persons Railcard. These entitle you to 1/3 off many rail fares for you and a travelling companion. Please find out more here.

You can also get some discounts without a railcard if you are visually impaired/blind or a wheelchair user and are travelling with a companion. See our making rail accessible leaflet for details.

You can find out more and apply for a Disabled Persons Railcard through their website here.

Different train operators have different policies in relation to travelling with a mobility scooter. Scooter users can take mobility scooters on LNER services as long as they are within 1200mm x 700mm. Anything larger than this must be folded and transported as luggage. Other train operators may operate permit schemes or not allow travel on mobility scooters on board, and you should check the relevant operator’s website before travelling.

You can book assistance for your journey either when booking your ticket or after you have bought a ticket. Simply use our online form or call our Assisted Travel Team on 03457 225 225.

Book Assistance

Carers/personal assistants do not travel free on trains. If you are entitled to a disabled railcard or one of these discounts, then a person travelling with you is entitled to the same discount.  A person may be able to travel with you for free within a local authority on an ENCTS bus pass. To find out if this is the case you should check with your local authority who issued the bus pass.

If you have a disability and/or mobility impairment that means you need assistance getting on and off trains, then we are happy to help. You can book assistance by either calling 03457 225 225, using our web form or visiting an LNER travel centre.

If you are unable to book in advance, just let a member of staff know when you arrive, and they will be happy to help you. 

We can offer station wheelchairs for anyone who needs assistance navigating around the station, guidance for customers who have a visual impairment and the use of ramps to board/leave trains.

Our 9-coach and 10-coach Azuma trains have four wheelchair spaces and our 5-coach Azuma trains have two wheelchair spaces.

Our Mark IV trains have three wheelchair spaces.

On a 9-coach Azuma there are two wheelchair spaces in Standard and also two in First Class.

On a 10-coach Azuma all four wheelchair spaces are in First Class.

On a 5-coach Azuma the two wheelchair spaces are in First Class.

On a Mark IV train there are two wheelchair spaces in Standard and one in First Class.

Not a problem! We will upgrade you to First Class if there are no Standard wheelchair spaces available. Our Assisted Travel team will arrange this upgrade for you and any assistance you require on to the train.

Absolutely. All wheelchair spaces on our trains have companion seats. There are two companion seats with all of our Standard Class wheelchair spaces.

In the First Class coaches some of the wheelchair spaces have one companion seat and some have two.

Yes. There are priority seats throughout our Azuma and Mark IV trains. These are usually located towards the end of a coach. You can see these on our seat maps. (link to seat maps)

If you have reduced mobility or are pregnant and require these priority seats, you can reserve them ahead of your journey, through our Assisted Travel team here.

Yes. All wheelchair spaces have a plug socket to charge your mobile devices and in First Class coaches there will also be USB ports.