Accessible travel › How to book help

How to book help for a train journey

Passenger Assist is the train companies’ free service for anyone who needs help at stations or getting on and off trains, such as a ramp, help through the station, or someone to meet you.

When to book

You can book up to 2 hours before your train. The regulator’s rule is that train companies must “not require passengers to give more than 2 hours’ notice when booking through Passenger Assist”.

You don’t have to book. You can turn up at the station and ask staff for help. Booking means staff expect you, which matters most where you change trains and where you get off, especially at stations that aren’t staffed all day.

How to book

• The Passenger Assist app, or online at National Rail’s Passenger Assist page.
• By phone: 0800 022 3720, free.
• Or through the train company you’re travelling with.

What to tell them

• The date, the train’s departure time, where you get on, and where you get off.
• Where you change trains, if you do.
• What help you need: for example a ramp to get on and off, help through the station, or help with luggage.
• If someone is travelling with you, or you have an assistance dog.

Kettle writes this out for you: with Accessible travel on, tap Book help on a train and copy your journey details.

On the day

Go to the station’s meeting point for booked help. Each station’s page tells you where it is, and whether staff are there at the time you travel: find your station.

If the help you booked doesn’t turn up, you can claim. Your rights.

The Office of Rail and Road’s words are quoted from its Accessible Travel Policy guidance (October 2025) and passenger assistance benchmarking (December 2025), under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Kettle is not part of Passenger Assist. Kettle is made by DB Five Ltd and is independent of National Rail and the train companies.