Travelling by train with a disability
Free, plain answers for every station in Great Britain: whether it’s step-free, when staff are there to help, what’s out of order today, how to book help, and what to do when it goes wrong.
- Is my station step-free?Step-free access, staff help hours, lifts, toilets and where to meet staff, at 2,588 stations.
- Out of order today47 lifts and step-free routes reported out of use right now, and accessible toilets.
- How to book helpPassenger Assist: what it is, when to book, what to tell them, and turning up without booking.
- Your rightsWhat train companies must do, in the regulator’s words, and what to do if help doesn’t turn up.
- What “step-free” meansThe five categories every station is given, A to C, in plain words.
- Replacement busesWhere they leave from at 2,500 stations, and what to do if the bus isn’t accessible.
Kettle, for your journey
Kettle is a train app for the journey you make every day. Tell it you need step-free access or help from staff, and it checks every train for you.
Real screens from Kettle on 30 October 2026.
Questions
Is Kettle’s accessible travel free?
Yes. Step-free marks, staff help warnings, faults at your stations, booking reminders and the station pages are free on every plan, and always will be. Premium adds other things, like which train really gets you in on time.
Does Kettle book Passenger Assist for me?
No. Kettle tells you when to book by, and gives you your journey details to copy, Passenger Assist’s number and its app and website. Passenger Assist and the train company book the help.
Where does the information come from?
Step-free categories, staff help hours, lifts and meeting points come from National Rail’s station information, kept by the station operators. In London, lifts out of order and level boarding come from TfL. The rules about booking help are the Office of Rail and Road’s.
How up to date are lift faults?
Station operators must update National Rail within 24 hours when a lift or toilet goes out of use, and Kettle checks for new reports every 4 hours. In London, TfL’s lift status is checked every two minutes. Always check with staff on the day.
Station information: Powered by National Rail Enquiries. Step-free categories are the Office of Rail and Road’s. Powered by TfL Open Data. Kettle is made by DB Five Ltd and is independent of National Rail and the train companies.