A disabled woman who had to be carried off a train has slammed Scotrail for removing access ramps from 'the majority of stations'.
Joanna McCool, 29, had planned to get the 4.23pm train from Bellshill to Glasgow Central with her two friends on Saturday after a station worker told them on-board conductors would facilitate her access. However, as reported by Glasgow Live, the train turned up with no conductor and left without them - and when the next service arrived, the conductor was not impressed that station staff had left her to sort out access.
That left Joanna feeling "awful" and when the pals eventually made it into the city, the wheelchair user was horrified to discover that doors to the only wheelchair accessible carriage would not open at their stop. Her friends had to carry her off to the next carriage, leaving her angry and embarrassed.
Joanna told Glasgow Live: "When the station staff told me I really thought it was a joke at first, I didn't believe it. We were told as of September 11 ramps had been removed from a load of stations and that we would have to get the conductor of our train to get the ramp that's kept on the train to help me on.
"But when the train came there was no conductor on so it just sped away. It meant we missed our reservations and really put a dampener on our night. It just makes me feel awful as my friends wouldn't have had to go through all the trouble and drama without me, they could've just gone on a normal night out."
The trio waited for the next train and luckily, a conductor was on this one. But more drama awaited as the conductor was not happy that station staff hadn't prepared their ramp, and had to be told they had been removed. Clearly unhappy, the conductor had to retrieve the on train ramp for Joanna to use.
Joanna added: "The whole drama of just getting there kind of ruined the night to be honest, it was my friends birthday night out and I think he still enjoyed it but I was really down about the whole thing. We ended up heading for the 7.50pm train home and when we got to the platform there was a conductor there who helped us on and asked where we were getting off. I was relieved as I thought at least the journey home would be alright.
"We were put in the only wheelchair accessible carriage on the train and it wasn't far into the journey when someone else in the carriage asked us where we were getting off, and when we told him Bellshill he said he didn't think this carriage opened there. There was no conductor in sight and we had told told the worker who helped us on where we were getting off so why would she put us in a carriage that wasn't going to open?
"I was upset and my friends were just raging on my behalf, it ended up I had to be carried through to the next carriage. I really do have such amazing friends but I can't help but think about what would have happened if I had been on that train on my own. It was just one failure after another and really embarrassing as who knows what everyone else on the train was thinking as they watched me get carried off.
"I hate thinking that people felt sorry for me, or thought I was just really drunk or something. Scotrail need to put ramps back in all stations and make sure that accessible carriages open their doors at every station. They've offered their apologies but it's not enough."
Joanna suffers from a rare, genetic neurological condition which only affects one in every 50,000. She was diagnosed at 13 with the disease, which affects your balance and coordination, and began using a wheelchair when she was 15. At first, she used it for long distances but she now needs it all the time.
She lives on her own and credits her amazing PAs, family and friends for allowing her to do so but her recent experience with Scotrail has shattered her feeling of independence and she has had to take time off work due to the stress these incidents have put her through.
Phil Campbell, ScotRail Head of Customer Operations, said: "I was concerned to hear about Ms McCool’s experience when travelling with us at the weekend.
"Scotland's Railway is for everyone, and everyone should be able to travel with confidence. We’re investigating the details of this complaint to establish exactly what went wrong, and will respond to Ms McCool directly.”
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