‘I’ve put so much work in and it still fails’
Doug Paulley
A wheelchair user has revealed the reality of trying to get a train to and from Manchester Piccadilly in a revealing video.
On Sunday October 5, Doug Paulley was on his way from Leeds to Manchester for his niece’s birthday with family.
However, knowing all too well about the difficulties that he was likely to encounter, he decided to document the trip via video.
The video was turned into a 12 minute YouTube post that showed instances where Doug found mountains of luggage blocking the space for wheelchair users, assistance staff not showing up to help him twice, being forced to pull an emergency alarm for support with a ramp and being ignored by multiple members of staff.
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The video shows that on the way back to Leeds, Doug had ventured to the customer assistance lounge of the train station where he was to meet staff who would escort him to platform 14 and help him board his train.
Doug, who is originally from Oldham, entered the lounge 20 minutes before he was set to leave but, after alerting staff, isn’t spoken to for the duration of his time there. Doug says instead the staff “sat around, chewing gum, watching movies and playing games on their phones, whilst casually throwing stuff to each other.”
Doug says that it is uncommon to find the wheelchair space blocked by luggage
Eventually, a worker who was tasked with supporting Doug speaks to him, but only to ask if he was able to make his own way to the platform where they would meet.
Doug agrees, but during his trek to platform 14, he requires assistance and is instead helped by another worker who shows him the way, despite it not being their responsibility.
Doug Paulley says the experience left him feeling ‘powerless’
Doug encounters a broken travellator which leads to him arriving at the platform three minutes before his train arrives. The assistance staff who was supposed to meet Doug does not arrive, and he instead finds a way to board after spotting a guard using a ramp to help another wheelchair user depart.
Once inside the train, the video shows another mountain of luggage crammed in one of the two wheelchair spaces in the carriage.
“They just ghosted me! It’s far from unusual, I’ve had the exact same experience at other stations,” said Doug.
“It feels like they have agency staff who don’t really care. They just kind of slope around without any commitment, customer service skills or any will to do the proper stuff.
“I feel like Network Rail have a culture of being reasonably good at infrastructure. But I feel like they’re not very good at dealing with humans.
“They like having this tick box culture, but they’re quite happy to have assistance staff who are just totally disengaged and not interested in the people they’re supposed to support.
“Which is very sad really. I get that wheelchair users aren’t a majority of the population that travel, but it’s what I experience all the time. They like the glitz and the PR of having the amazing facility but the day-to-day management of it and staff is really lackadaisical
“I feel like there’s a lack of respect for disabled people’s rights.”
Speaking about the journey, which he said left him feeling powerless, Doug, 47, said: “They get us three times. They get us in advance because we’ve got to do all the work to stop it from happening.
“So I booked assistance in advance. Then you have the anticipatory stress, because you know that it is very likely that something is going to go wrong.
“Then there’s the stress in the moment, I was blocking the aisle, preventing other people from getting out with lots of people watching.
Doug was often left stranded on a platform
“It was all very stressful, and you’re working out whether you’re going to complain about it.
“Even if you don’t complain, I feel bad about it because it means that other people are going to experience it more in the future.
“It’s a lot of work and also a lot of emotional work. I find it difficult when I’ve done everything I possibly can to make it work. I’ve put so much work in and it still fails.
“There’s something about the inevitability about it and the powerlessness that I experience.”
What National Rail have said
A spokesperson for Network Rail said: “We are reviewing the facts surrounding this incident and we thank the passenger involved for bringing it to our attention.
“We want every passenger to feel safe, supported, and confident when travelling with us. We take our responsibilities seriously, and when we fall short, we listen, investigate, and act — as we’re doing now.
“Network Rail has provided extra support for more than 43,000 passengers so far this year at Manchester Piccadilly and we are committed to making rail travel accessible and inclusive for everyone.”
Andrew McClements, Customer Experience & Transformation Director at TransPennine Express: “We know that luggage space is at a premium on board some of our services, and we’ve taken proactive steps to educate customers and colleagues about the importance of keeping wheelchair spaces clear.
“This includes clear signage and regular announcements from our colleagues to remind passengers not to use these areas for luggage.
“Despite these efforts, we recognise occasionally items are still placed in these bays during busy times. However, our colleagues would always help to move them, if necessary, as our conductor did in the instance. TransPennine Express is fully committed to making rail travel accessible and inclusive for all.”