- new Great British Railways trains will aim to have unassisted
level boarding between the train and the platform as standard,
the Transport Secretary has confirmed
- one of government's everyday fixes under public ownership,
which will mean millions of passengers, from disabled people and
older passengers to parents with pushchairs and those carrying
luggage, will benefit from easier journeys
- change will form part of GBR's focus on improving
accessibility across rail, helping all passengers to travel with
confidence
New publicly-run trains will aim to have level boarding as
standard to improve accessibility, as part of the government's strategy for
new trains, announced 28 September 2026.
Great British Railways (GBR) will make unassisted level
boarding between the train and platform a baseline expectation
for all new trains wherever possible, in a move towards greater
accessibility on the rail network.
This means passengers with disabilities, mobility difficulties
and others who need assistance, such as parents with pushchairs
and those travelling with luggage, will benefit from much easier
journeys, giving everyone more freedom to travel independently.
This commitment is part of the wider drive to improve
accessibility across the rail network as nationalisation removes
the barriers that stop operators and Network Rail working
together to reach solutions that best meet passenger needs.
The government is investing £280 million in step-free access
through the Access for All
programme, with over 30 schemes now underway across England,
Scotland and Wales.
This builds on last year's Roadmap to an Accessible
Railway, which set out improvements to day-to-day travel for
passengers needing assistance ahead of GBR's establishment.
Great British Railways will set an expectation that new trains
are designed to reduce barriers between train carriages and
standard Network Rail platforms.
Following the government taking a coordinated approach for the
first time in 30 years, through the new rolling stock and
infrastructure strategy which sees GBR overseeing decisions on
trains, track, depots and maintenance as part of the government's
wider drive to put essential services back in public control.
In most cases, this is not expected to add any significant costs
towards the trains, as they will be designed to provide
unassisted level boarding at standard Network Rail platform
heights, from the outset. As seen on Greater Anglia and
Merseyrail recently in the new GBR trains being built by Alstom
for the Transpennine Route Upgrade.
The government also continues to invest in step-free access at
stations through the Access for All programme. Thanks to almost
£280 million of Access for All funding announced this year,
passengers at stations across England, Scotland and Wales will be
able to travel more independently, confidentlyand safely.
