ENHANCING ACCESSIBILITY - A COLLABORATIVE TRIUMPH AT WHITE HART LANE STATION

At Arriva Rail London, we pride ourselves on delivering exceptional service, particularly to our customers with disabilities who rely on our Turn Up and Go (TUAG) assistance. This means that our customers don’t need to pre-book assistance, they can just turn up at any of the stations we serve, without giving notice, and we will help them on to a suitable train to get them to their destination.

Although we are committed to accessibility, we can still face challenges in this area. In the summer, difficulties arose at White Hart Lane station during high-traffic events at the nearby stadium. Sarah Kariuki, our dedicated customer experience duty manager for passenger assistance control, identified the strain on our resources, particularly when simultaneous wheelchair assistance was required at opposite ends of a train.

White Hart Lane station gets a particularly high volume of mobility impaired customers on any day where there are events at White Hart Lane stadium, and this number is increasing. Sarah identified that this was putting pressure on the station team, especially when two wheelchair customers were put on board one of our trains, from different origin stations and at opposite ends of the train. This led to trains being delayed whilst colleagues assisted the first passenger, then made their way four or five carriages along the train to help the second passenger. Sarah also recognised the impact this was having on the second customer, now anxious as to whether they would be taken off the train or overcarried to another station (potentially Liverpool Street!).

Sarah contacted Dujon Toussaint, who was station operations manager at the time, and highlighted the impact this was having on customers’ journeys and employees working at the station. Dujon recommended to local customer experience manager, Simone Gordon, that additional ramps should be acquired for the station. Simone swiftly arranged for two additional ramps, one extra for each platform.

These additional ramps reduce train delays and mean that our colleagues do not have to rush along platforms carrying heavy ramps. Most importantly, they enable our customers to travel with peace of mind, knowing that they will be met immediately at White Hart Lane station - even on match days.

Adams Daniel, station manager, summarises:

“The additional ramps installed at White Hart Lane Station have vastly improved how we assisassengers with accessibility needs and vulnerable passengers. Two passengers can be helped to board or alight the train in a timely manner, without impacting train performance.

“This has also reduced the risk of accidents, as during events, ramps are placed strategically on the platforms, making it easier for events employees to access them.”

A big thank you and well done to Sarah Kariuki, Dujon Toussaint, Phil Sargent and Simone Gordon for your collaborative work, which has in turn improved our customers’ journeys