PLATFORM FOR CHANGE

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: march/april 2026 :: RMTnews 24 A new report from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), found that three in four blind and partially sighted people say they can’t rely on rail staff for assistance and information, while more than 60 per cent say they are not consistently met by staff at stations when they have booked passenger assistance. Crucially the research found that physical safety remains a serious concern. Once they have located their train, four out of five (82 per cent) of blind and partially sighted people say that the gap between trains and the platform causes them difficulty - incidents can lead to injuries and even deaths.  RNIB’s Erik Matthies, who has sight loss, said that far too many people with sight loss were frequently stuck at stations unable to board or change trains and face the stressful experience of having to seek help and locate platforms and carriages themselves. “Blind and partially sighted people have to contend with challenging ticket buying methods, inaccessible stations, platforms and on-board facilities like toilets, and inconsistent gaps between the train and platform edges PLATFORM FOR CHANGE Half of blind and partially sighted people fear being left stranded at train stations SKILLED: RNIB’s Erik Matthies says that ticket office staff are skilled in providing multiple kinds of support that people can’t get from an app or a machine