Countrylink: XPT and Xplorer
Countrylink trains each have a special ramp to help passengers in wheelchairs on and off the trains, as well as one carriage on each train with a wheelchair-accessible bathroom. You may arrange to sit in this carriage when you make your reservations. There are also attendants on-board that will deliver food to the seat.
If you have a wheelchair, collapsible wheelchair, motorized wheelchair or motorized scooter you can travel on a CountryLink train or coach service provided that the following specifications are met: you will need to be able to maneuver into a space of 700mm (width) x 1300mm (length) on CountryLink trains or 800mm x 1300mm on CountryLink coaches. Please note that CountryLink is unable to carry mobility aids wider than 700mm on any of our trains. You will need to be able to turn 180 degrees within a space of 2070mm x 1540mm.
Great Southern Railway: The Indian Pacific, The Ghan, The
Great Southern Railway staff will be pleased to assist you whilst on your journey - please call 0870 0841 411 for more info or to book.
Wheelchairs - Electric and conventional wheelchairs, scooters and walking frames cannot be used aboard Great Southern Railway trains due to the narrow width of corridors and doors. Special pushchairs designed to fit in the train corridors are available for use on the Indian Pacific, The Ghan and The Overland. Pushchairs can be booked at the time of booking, as can the carriage of your own wheelchair, scooter or walker but these will not be accessable during your trip.
Embarking/Disembarking - On board staff are available to assist physically impaired guests to board and disembark the train. Wheelchair ramps are provided for boarding and disembarkation at Perth, Adelaide, Sydney, Kalgoorlie and Melbourne. A Mobility Assistance Device is available at Alice Springs, Katherine and Darwin to assist physically impaired guests to board or leave the train as the platforms at these stations are at ground level. Acess to the trains at all other interim stops is only possible via steps. Boarding requirements need to be advised at the time of booking.
Pullman's Cabin - The Pullman's Cabin is available for wheelchair bound/physically impaired guests travelling in Gold Kangaroo Service aboard the Indian Pacific or the Ghan. The Pullman's Cabin offers the following features:
- A more spacious cabin for easier mobility using the special on board pushchair
- loung converting to upper and lower berths
- mobile height adjustment table
- seat and hand rail facilities in the ensuite bathroom
- flexible hand shower and shower chair
QR Traveltrain: Westlander, Inlander, Spirit of the Outback, Sunlander, Tilt Train
QR Traveltrain Staff will provide the following assistance to passengers with disabilities or who are travelling with a wheelchair:
- Assisting passengers on and off the train
- Fastening and unfastening the straps securing the wheelchair
- To and from the toilet/shower enterance (no assistance is provided inside toilet or shower facilities)
- To serve meals at seats if required.
AUSTRIA
OBB
OBB arranges everything necessary for a trip for someone with disabilities, including: special information, booking tickets, reservations and assistance for boarding and alighting. There are also agents that can assist with special accommodations and bookings, and most trains are equipped with special lifts and boarding assistance.
Passengers should notify OBB at least 3 days in advance of their journey. Call the special service on +43 (0)5-1717 (available every day from 07:00 – 21:00 hrs) to make arrangements. When calling, wait for the recorded message, dial 5 (Special information) and then 5 again (Notification of trips of wheelchair users or persons with other handicaps).
BENELUX
SNBC (Belgian National Railway)
The SNBC is very accommodating for passengers with disabilities. In 1st class on Eurostar, TGV and Thalys, there are one or more locations for wheelchairs, which are positioned alongside spacious toilets laid out especially for wheelchair passengers. You must reserve one of these locations allocated to you when you make your booking.
So that these facilities can be accessible to everyone, Eurostar, Thalys and TGV provide special rates so that wheelchair passengers and their attendants can travel in 1st class for a 2nd class fare.
Eurostar is dedicated to providing the highest level of service for all its passengers including those who require additional facilities and services.
Both Waterloo and Ashford International terminals feature:
- Coloured markers onpillars and other obstacles
- Lifts with controls at wheelchair height and in Braille
- Ramps for level changes with handrails and intermediate landings
- Tactile Surfaces to alert the visually impaired and partially sighted to platform edges.
Blind Passengers and Guide Dogs
Eurostar is pleased to announce that guide dogs for the blind are now allowed on the following routes:
- London Waterloo - Paris - London Waterloo
- London Waterloo - Brussels - London Waterloo
- London Waterloo - Lille - London Waterloo
Please note that Ashford International is not yet equipped to deal with guide dogs.
Only guide dogs for the blind are allowed on board. No other dogs nd animals are allowed on board Eurostar.
In order to enter the UK all guide dogs must have:
- A microchip
- Official entry/re-entry certificate
- Certification of treatment against ticks and tapeworms
- Pet travel scheme declaration for cmpletion by person bringing the guide dog in to England.
Toilets
A toilet for disabled passengers is located in First Class coaches 9 and 10 - each fitted with a call for aid button. Toilets for disabled passengers with a call for aid button are also available in the departure lounges at Waterloo International and Ashford International stations.
Passengers with wheelchairs
There are two designated areas, each for one wheelchair user and a companion in First Class coaches 9 and 10 - each fitted with a call for aid button. These areas offer wheelchair users the option to stay in their chair should they wish but must be used if passengers are unable to walk at least 200m unaided. Please note that the designated wheelchair spaces are for use by passengers who have their own wheelchair.
Eurostar door widths are as follows:
- Exit door: 850mm
- Disabled person's toilet: 720mm
Special Assistance
Special assistance is no longer bookable in advance. Assistance is available in person on the day of travel at the assistance desk. Subject to availability. Special assistance is available for wheelchair users, passengers with restricted mobility and other special needs.
The special location for wheelchairs, as well as the special rate for wheelchair users and their attendant, can be booked by calling us on 0870 0841 411.
NS (Netherlands National Railway)
Some NS trains have special compartments for wheelchair users. Three wheelchair locations are available on trains to Hanover and Berlin. There is 1 wheelchair location on ICE International to Frankfurt, on Thalys to Paris and on CityNightLine to Zurich / Munich/ Garmisch, reserved as 2nd Class. There is also a handicapped bathroom in the InterCity Berlin, Thalys, Eurostar and ICE International trains. The maximum size of wheelchair permitted on international trains is 120 cm long and 70 cm wide (smaller than in The Netherlands).
Boarding assistance can be requested by calling the Assistentieverlening aan Gehandicapten [Bureau for Assisting the Disabled] on +31 (0)30 235 78 22 (lines open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.). Please apply for assistance a week before departure, and have your reservation details handy.
For further information you can also contact NS Internationaal on the larger stations or your travel agent or phone Teleservice NS Internationaal: +31 (0)900 92 96 (€ 0.35 per minute).
CFL (Luxembourg National Railway)
CFL has a special office to deal and assist with passengers who have special needs. The office makes efforts to organize safe travel and provide information and help wherever possible, with getting the passenger and their luggage on and off trains. There are several locations with special ramps and seating, and the office appreciates at least 24-hour notice to have extra assistance available. You can contact them at:
CFL
Secretariat Technique Transport
Gare de Luxembourg
Tel: (+352) 4990-3342
Fax: (+352) 4990-4411
email: st-tr-l2@cfl.lu
BULGARIA
BDZ
BDZ has specific trains on its routes with special cars for wheelchairs, as well as with handicapped bathrooms. They require at least 3 days advance notice by calling: (+ 359) (0) 2 988 53 58 and (+ 359) (0) 2 932 43 36.
CZECH REPUBLIC
CD
CD requires at least 6 days advance notice so that they can help people with special needs. They have special trains with handicapped seats and compartments suitable for wheelchairs, indicated by the international wheelchair symbol.
The trains are mostly equipped for wheelchairs, and several EC, IC trains are equipped with a lifting platform. Some trains can be accessed directly from platforms and the trains have wide doors and a large vestibule area to accommodate wheelchairs. At some stations there is a gap between the platform and the carriage. This may create difficulty for the mobility and visually impaired and assistance may be required.
FINLAND
VR
VR offers numerous services for people with disabilities. For example, services for the disabled in InterCity and InterCity2 trains are designed to enable experienced travelers to travel on their own. Services in the new sleeping cars have also been designed for wheelchair users.
If a wheelchair passenger doesn’t want to use the special facilities, then that passenger is responsible for boarding and leaving by him or herself and will not receive any special assistance from VR.
When a person with reduced mobility or with visual impairment travels with another adult, the aide is entitled to a free ticket. The person with reduced mobility or with visual impairment must then have an adult, senior, pensioner, student or junior ticket. Tickets for both the person with a disability and the aide must be purchased at the same time.
FRANCE
SNCF, TGV
SNCF caters to the disabled and wheelchair bound with designated spaces and facilities marked in the carriages. Even adapted transport service to the station can be provided in some cases.
Please call for more information: +33 (0) 892 35 35 39
Elipsos
Any blind or disabled person who possesses an appropriate card, license or supporting document issued by a legally recognized association will pay the standard fare and the person who accompanies them will just pay a small supplement.
Eurostar
Eurostar is dedicated to providing the highest level of service for all its passengers including those who require additional facilities and services.
Both Waterloo and Ashford International terminals feature:
- Coloured markers onpillars and other obstacles
- Lifts with controls at wheelchair height and in Braille
- Ramps for level changes with handrails and intermediate landings
- Tactile Surfaces to alert the visually impaired and partially sighted to platform edges.
Blind Passengers and Guide Dogs
Eurostar is pleased to announce that guide dogs for the blind are now allowed on the following routes:
- London Waterloo - Paris - London Waterloo
- London Waterloo - Brussels - London Waterloo
- London Waterloo - Lille - London Waterloo
Please note that Ashford International is not yet equipped to deal with guide dogs.
Only guide dogs for the blind are allowed on board. No other dogs nd animals are allowed on board Eurostar.
In order to enter the UK all guide dogs must have:
- A microchip
- Official entry/re-entry certificate
- Certification of treatment against ticks and tapeworms
- Pet travel scheme declaration for cmpletion by person bringing the guide dog in to England.
Toilets
A toilet for disabled passengers is located in First Class coaches 9 and 10 - each fitted with a call for aid button. Toilets for disabled passengers with a call for aid button are also available in the departure lounges at Waterloo International and Ashford International stations.
Passengers with wheelchairs
There are two designated areas, each for one wheelchair user and a companion in First Class coaches 9 and 10 - each fitted with a call for aid button. These areas offer wheelchair users the option to stay in their chair should they wish but must be used if passengers are unable to walk at least 200m unaided. Please note that the designated wheelchair spaces are for use by passengers who have their own wheelchair.
Eurostar door widths are as follows:
- Exit door: 850mm
- Disabled person's toilet: 720mm
Special Assistance
Special assistance is no longer bookable in advance. Assistance is available in person on the day of travel at the assistance desk. Subject to availability. Special assistance is available for wheelchair users, passengers with restricted mobility and other special needs.
The special location for wheelchairs, as well as the special rate for wheelchair users and their attendant, can be booked by calling us on 0870 0841 411.
Thalys
Thalys has specially arranged areas on specific carriages (1, 11, and 21) with wheelchair accessible bathrooms. For assistance in getting to a seat, they ask that you please call your service area 24 hours in advance.
Service Area Contacts:
In Belgium: 02/224.52.39 (note: this service is not available at the Antwerp-Berchem station);
In France: 0 800 15 47 53;
In the Netherlands: 030 235 78 22;
In
GERMANY
DB: ICE, DB Nachtzug, CityNightLine, Thalys
The DB provides special compartments for people with disabilities on all local and long-distance trains. All ICE and almost all IC trains have spaces for wheelchairs and a toilet suitable for passengers in wheelchairs. Advance reservation is highly recommended. Many stations offer help when boarding trains with wheelchairs - notification in advance is again highly recommended. For further details please visit http://www.bahn.de/-S:PtVOZ9:eiQL7NNNa-3E1NNNNQdM/p/view/international/englisch/travelservice/part_1_information.shtml#2.
Cisalpino
On Cisalpino trains there are three special-needs seats in the 2nd class area; two of them are wheelchair-accessible, next to wheelchair-accessible bathrooms, and can be reserved at any station ticket counter.
GREECE
OSE
The OSE provides 50% off the ticket price for people with reduced mobility, and is valid on all trains with no restrictions regarding time limits. All additional price supplements (couchette supplement, quality or priority train supplement etc.) are fully charged.
In addition to that, if the passenger decided to use the phone booking service together with the ticket delivery at home, this service is offered free of charge for deliveries within the area of Attica and for travels in Inter City and Inter City Express trains as well as in the Rack train operating in Diakofto-Kalavrita.
IRELAND
CIE
CIE welcomes passengers with special needs, although the facilities at some of their stations still require modification and improvement that they are working on correcting. They request at least a 24-hour notice for any assistance you may need.
A ‘Guide for Mobility Impaired Passengers’, which is a free resource for passengers, can be obtained by phoning the Mobility Impaired Liaison Officer at +353-1-7032634.
ITALY
Trenitalia: Eurostar Italia, Intercity & Intercity Night, Intercity Plus, Artesia, Riviera, Elipsos, etc.
Trenitalia provides its disabled customers a specific and professional service to assist them during the main phases of the journey. Trenitalia is committed to progressively improving the service in every aspect.
While at the stations
The Assistance Centres for Disabled passengers ("C.A.D.") are found in 255 stations http://www.trenitalia.com/en/servizi_per/disabili/circuito_assistenza.html. On passengers' request, they organise assistance while at the departure/arrival stations.
While on board the trains
Two equipped places are reserved for wheelchair passengers on the medium- and long-distance trains. Also, on the trains marked with a special sign, you can obtain extra help with getting on and off.
ITALY-WIDE HELPLINE FOR disabled passengers: 199-30-30-60 is available all days (holidays excluded) from 7 am till 9pm.
The tariff for landlines (cost to caller- VAT included): 6.12 euro cents at reply and 2.63 euro cents for every minute of conversation. The tariff for mobile networks varies according to mobile operator. As an indication, costs vary between 12.40 and 15.49 euro cents at reply and between 24.17 and 48.00 euro cents for every minute of conversation
NORWAY
NSB
NSB provides compartments for passengers with special needs on most long and medium-haul trains. There is no surcharge for the wheelchair on the train when the passenger has a valid ticket. Wheelchairs are available for assistance at the following stations: Oslo S, Drammen, Kristiansand, Stavanger, Bergen and Trondheim. Travelers who require assistance can order this at the same time as they purchase their ticket and by the latest before 9 pm the day before departure.
POLAND
PKP Regional
Some cars in trains operated by PKP Przewozy Regionalne have facilities for disabled passengers-wheelchairs users. The list of trains with cars and handicapped bathrooms that are equipped wheelchair entry is available on the website: www.pr.pkp.pl/niepelnosprawni.
PORTUGAL
Caminhos de Ferro Portugueses
The Customer Assistance Offices are there to help the passengers and resolve any doubts they may have. Each Office is specialized in one specific kind of traffic. There are Long Distance Offices and Lisbon and Oporto Urban Offices. Please call 808 208 746 (808 208 SIM) for more information.
SLOVENIA
SZ
SZ offers special coaches on the Euro City trains for passengers with wheelchairs. Special needs travelers pay their ticket according to the General Terms valid for their voyage, and if the passenger travels with someone who provides assistance, the companion travels free of charge in the 1st or 2nd class.
Larger railway stations outside Slovenia are generally equipped with accessories for disabled people and/or lift facilities. Certain trains offer compartments for disabled people. Suitable lifts are available at the Ljubljana railway station, and railway personnel can help people in wheelchairs at the other stations.
Passengers may request information about travel possibilities on the entire route (including eventual train changes) on their departure station or by phone +386 (0) 1 29 13332, as well by e-mail: potnik.info@slo-zeleznice.si.
SPAIN
RENFE: Euromed, Alaris, Altaria, AVE
These are all accessible to wheelchair users and RENFE the Spanish State Railway provides wheelchairs at main city train stations. Smaller stations however can be significantly less well equipped.
SWEDEN
SJ
SJ offers wheelchair lifts on all X 2000 and most of the InterCity trains. Different trains have different limits when it comes to measurements. For definite information on each train type please contact SJ customer service at (+46) 0771-757599. Once onboard there is a place available for your own wheelchair and a table. The seat is always near a door and beside a roomy toilet with a flat threshold.
In the 1st class carriages on the X 2000 SJ does not yet offer wheelchair seating, but wheelchair passengers can travel with a 1st class ticket in 2nd class and be served food, drinks and other services offered to 1st class passengers.
On the night trains there is an extra roomy sleeper compartment with room for a wheelchair. The compartment is designed for 1 or 2 people and has a private toilet with a shower with a seat. Larger and medium-sized stations have ramps to entrances, automatic doors, sales desks that can be raised and lowered, and help with finding assistance.
SWITZERLAND
SBB
SBB offers private boarding and alighting assistance and special facilities, including a Mobilift. There are also staff and support stations almost all day. To be able to accommodate you in our wheelchair compartments, your wheelchair must not exceed the following dimensions: Width: 70 cm, Length: 120 cm, Weight: 250 kg (max. load for the Mobilifts). Boarding and alighting assistance for larger and/or heavier wheelchairs is not possible as a rule.
Most fast trains on Switzerland's standard gauge railways (incl. ICE, TGV, CIS, EC, IC, IR) have at least one 2nd class (or 1st class) carriage with a wheelchair compartment. Fast trains that do not have a 2nd class wheelchair compartment permit wheelchair users to travel in the vestibule, if they wish.
At stations other than Support Stations, you must organize boarding and alighting assistance yourself. Swiss Federal Railways will not accept any liability if the wheelchair user elects to board or alight without assistance.
