A NEW Priority Seating Card is being made available to make train travel easier for Northern rail passengers with hidden disabilities.
The free card is specially designed to give people with a range of conditions that make it difficult to stand the confidence to ask other passengers to give up a priority seat, and the opportunity for others to offer theirs.
Produced by Hidden Disabilities, the company behind the Sunflower Lanyard, the card is easily recognisable and has space for customer to personalise it.
Mark Powles, Commercial and Customer Director at Northern, said: “We are proud to be working with Hidden Disabilities to support those in our communities to use our trains and stations with confidence.
“A small act by fellow travellers offering up their seat has an immediate effect but also gives a confidence boost that has a lasting impact.
“We want to make our trains – and our wider network – as accessible as possible, and this scheme is the next step in the journey to deliver a Northern that works for everyone and makes a positive difference.”
Priority Seating Cards are available from Liverpool Lime Street, Blackpool, Barrow, Windermere, Wigan Wallgate, Manchester Victoria, Manchester Oxford Road, Buxton, Bradford Interchange, Harrogate, Leeds, Meadowhall, Barnsley Interchange, Sunderland, Morpeth, and Hartlepool stations or online.
- Northern is also trialling a new virtual reality application that allows passengers to explore their journey and arrange the support they require in advance.
- Users will be able to experience trains, stations and interact with station and on-board staff in a realistic simulated environment on their own phones, tablets, and PCs or even using low-cost VR headsets.
