Rail replacement vehicles: extension of non-accessible period to 30 April 2020

Letter by Chris Heaton-Harris, Minister of State, to the Rail Delivery Group extending the period of non-accessibility compliance for buses and coaches performing rail replacement duties.

The period of exemption is extended until 30 April 2020 subject to the conditions that:

1. Train operating companies must source and use compliant vehicles wherever possible in the first instance, only using non-complaint vehicles that has been granted a special authorisation when other options have been exhausted.
2. When no compliant vehicle is available terms of condition must provide alternative accessible transport for disabled passengers.
3. Arrangements must be made in advance during planned engineering works to ensure alternative accessible transport is readily available.