Doug Paulley's blog

disability, data protection, activism and other such

Station accessibility across Britain mapped

Posted on by Doug Paulley
Map showing distribution of step-free and non-step-free access stations in Great Britain
A map showing the spatial distribution of stations with and without step-free access across Great Britain

This map takes step free access data for each of Great Britain’s 2,572 main-line railway stations as listed in Knowledgebase (the rail industry’s station information database) on 3rd February 2018. (There are actually 2,563 stations – the extra 9 in the database are bizarre anomalies such as including Elephant and Castle underground station.)

There are significant accuracy problems with the information in this database, particularly on step-free access. One significant problem is that the database’s owners (Rail Delivery Group) unilaterally eradicated the “partial step-free access” category in a cost-cutting exercise a couple of years ago (without changing the database specification…). In the process they designated “partially step free” stations (with step-free access to some platforms but not others) as being either entirely step-free or having no step-free access at all, without any clear method for said re-designation. Other accuracy issues include that station operating companies (mainly train operating companies and Network Rail) are… patchy in their compliance with their licensing obligation to make sure that this information is correct, and Rail Delivery Group are patchy in their technical processes for updating the database when station operators provide this information.

So the above isn’t 100% correct in detail. However, the overall impression it gives is correct.

A better version for people with colour-blindness (sorry, I should have thought of that!)

Step Free Access station coverage map for people with colour-blindness
A map showing the spatial distribution of stations with and without step-free access across Great Britain, with better colour contrast for colour-blind people.

No, Bns Williams, the Equality Act doesn’t work for me.

Posted on by Doug Paulley

I have been made aware of Bns Williams’ positive mention in the Lords, of my enforcement of the Equality Act.

There are good examples of disabled people enforcing the duty to make reasonable adjustments. Noble Lords will no doubt have heard of the case of Mr Paulley, who has successfully enforced the Act on many occasions.

I wish to specifically refute that the Equality Act works for disabled people or that it is enforceable in any realistic manner by anybody.

As I said in my evidence to the Equality Act 2010 and Disability Select Committee,

Nearly all disabled people have little to no prospect of enforcing their rights under the Equality Act.

I go on to talk about some of the barriers disabled people experience that scupper any chance of enforcing their rights, including internalised oppression, no serious attempt at providing education, lack of personal assistance, the lack of legal representation, the impenetrable nature of the court system, lack of legal funding, the financial and other risks, the energy and other costs – to name but a few. I quoted Cloisters Chambers’ input into the Equality Bill,

Cloisters [Chambers] point out that in any event, relying upon individuals to bring about systemic change through individual litigation places a heavy burden upon disabled people who, in many instances, experience discrimination on a daily basis which it would be time consuming and exhausting to challenge on each and every occasion.

That is every bit as much the case now as it was when Cloisters said it in 2009.

Not only does the Equality Act not work for disabled people in general, it doesn’t work for me. It takes an inordinate amount of time and energy for me to take cases. It affects me profoundly. I risk financial ruination every time I take a case. I don’t always win, and even when I do, it doesn’t achieve anything like systematic change in service provision to disabled people.


I object to my experience being used as any form of evidence that the Equality Act is enforceable by any disabled person. It isn’t.

100% of Scotrail’s stations are accessible – official

Posted on by Doug Paulley

Great news! It’s official! Scotrail’s assisted travel helpline told me so it must be true – All Scotrail’s stations are 100% accessible to all passengers, including wheelchair users!

Here’s the transcript – Scotrail’s in bold, I’m not:

  • All stations we deal with are all accessible for wheelchair users.
  • All Scotrail stations? That’s impressive.
  • Yes that is correct, all Scotrail stations are accessible for all our customers.

So there you go, Scotrail have evidently become the first operator (with more than 20 stations) to achieve 100% step free, accessible status.

Their station information pages must be incorrect. These pages state that 183 of their 354 stations (52%) have no step-free access to any part of the station. (Actually that’s not accurate either, but still, there patently are Scotrail platforms / whole stations without wheelchair access.)