Tyne and Wear rail

County advice overview

Tyne and Wear train stations, throughout the county, have wheelchair access. 

You can check access information at individual stations on the National Rail website.

Just type the name of your station (or 3 letter code if you know it) and you can find out detailed information for that station under the various headings.

You can call or text National Rail Enquiries to arrange passenger assistance.

• call 0800 0223720
• text 60083
• textphone or minicom users can dial 0845 60 50 600.

Key tips

Always allow yourself plenty of time to plan your journey. It may be worth considering:

• If you will need help to access the train and will you be travelling with mobility equipment. Consider whether it is easier to take equipment with you or hire it at your destination, from an outlet such as ShopMobility.
• Booking passenger assistance in advance. Before you contact the train operator to arrange this, consider all aspects of your journey so all the information can be obtained in one call. For example, can assistance be arranged for a connecting train service? Does your train have refreshments served if you are unable to easily reach a buffet car?
• When booking passenger assistance, you should be able to provide the size of a wheelchair or mobility scooter, including the total weight with or without the user.
• What local transport do you need once you arrive at your destination? Will you need to pre-book an accessible taxi?
• Will you be making this journey more than once a year? If so, it may be worth researching concessionary travel schemes.

Remember that your local Hubs Mobility Advice Service can signpost you to the correct travel operator and mobility organisations.

Regional Operators

Train Operators

LNER

https://www.lner.co.uk/

Regular services run down the east of the country.

Cross Country

https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/

Various train destinations throughout the country and Northumbrian destinations between Newcastle and Hexham.

Northern Rail

https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/

Trains run from Newcastle to a variety of destinations.

TransPennine Express

https://www.tpexpress.co.uk/

Various destinations including local train stations in the Tees Valley area.

Grand Central

https://www.grandcentralrail.com/

Various destinations from Sunderland.

Metro services

https://www.nexus.org.uk/metro

The Tyne and Wear Metro is overseen by Nexus and covers the Tyne and Wear area.  It is a light rail system with 60 stations, many of which interchange with bus and other rail services.

Accessibility

All Metro stations are accessible to people with disabilities, with ramp or lift access to the platforms and trains if required. (Some stations have gaps between the platform and the train.) 

If you need assistance, you can call Nexus up to a few hours before your journey. They will meet you at your Metro station and provide the required assistance, such as ramp access, as well as at your destination station.

Help with cost

Senior Railcard

A Senior Railcard is available to people over 60 and costs £30 for a year or £70 for three years. It gives a discount of 1/3 off rail journeys.

The Disabled Person’s Railcard

The Disabled Person’s Railcard costs £20 for a year and £54 for three years. It will entitle you to a saving of 1/3 off rail journeys.

You are eligible for the Disabled Person’s Railcard if you:

• receive Personal Independence Payments (PIP)
• receive Disability Living Allowance (DLA) at either:

the higher or lower rate for the mobility component, or

the higher or middle rate for the care component

• have a visual impairment
• have a hearing impairment
• have epilepsy
• receive Attendance Allowance or Severe Disablement Allowance
• receive War Pensioner’s Mobility Supplement
• receive War or Service Disablement Pension for 80% or more disability
• buy or lease a vehicle through the Motability scheme

Metro Gold Card

A Metro Gold card scheme requires a one-off yearly fee of £12. It allows you to use the Metro and ferries free of charge.

For information regarding accessibility on the Metro, the Metro Gold Card, and any other enquiries, contact: 0191 20 20 747

(Concessionary bus passes cannot be used on the Metro system.)

Special assistance

If you are planning on travelling with National Rail, you can request an assistance booking in advance – now up to 2 hours before your journey is due to start, any time of the day. 

Passenger Assist is a national system used by all train companies, which allows them to make the necessary arrangements for your journey.

How it works

If you have a disability, non-visible disability, or are elderly, you can pre-book journey assistance to make sure you get all the help you need for your journey, including changes, and connections that involve other train companies.

You can also “turn up and go” without booking assistance in advance. If you require assistance at short notice, make yourself known to a member of staff or use a Help Point when you arrive at the station.

You can request assistance either via the train company you are travelling with or nationally through National Rail.

Book Passenger Assist via National Rail

Contact: 0800 030 9224 

Lines open 24 hours a day (except Christmas Day and Boxing Day).

Further booking details are available on the National Rail website.

Book Passenger Assist via individual train companies

Cross Country Trains

Cross Country Trains website
Contact: 0800 030 9224

LNER

LNER website
Contact: 03457 225 225 (24 hours a day.)

Northern Rail

Northern Rail website
Contact: 0800 138 5560

TransPennine Express

TransPennine Express website
Contact: 0800 107 2149

Grand Central

Grand Central website
Contact: 0345 603 4852

Travelling with mobility equipment

Wheelchairs

Train operators in Tyne and Wear can carry manual or powered wheelchairs up to a maximum size of 700mm wide by 1200mm long and not exceeding a weight of 300kg including the passenger.

As there are a limited number of spaces available to wheelchair users on each train, it is important that you book your space in advance.

Scooters

The rules for scooters are different for each train operator so always check requirements before travelling. Some operators require permits so check with all train operators involved in your journey before travelling.

You can travel with a mobility scooter within the size dimension: 120cm long by 70cm wide and not exceeding a weight of 300kg (including the passenger) on most trains. You can check individual train operator dimension guidelines on the National Rail website.

Grand Central

You do not need a permit to take a mobility scooter on a Grand Central train and you can use designated wheelchair spaces. Folding mobility scooters can be stored as luggage.

Cross Country Trains

When travelling with a mobility scooter, this must be folded and stowed in the luggage compartment.  

LNER

You do not need a permit to take a mobility scooter on an LNER trains.

Northern Rail

Passengers can apply for a permit and their scooter will be assessed to ensure they are safe to be carried on board.

TransPennine Express

You can take a scooter on a TP Express train as long as you apply for a scooter card and your scooter is within the size dimensions. (120cm long by 70cm wide and not exceeding a weight of 300kg including the passenger.) If you do not have a scooter card you can still take your scooter if it can be dismantled and is no bigger than an average large suitcase.

Routes and timetables

Online journey planners can help you plan train travel locally in Tyne and Wear and further afield. 

National Rail Journey Planner

https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

Trainline Journey Planner

https://www.thetrainline.com/journey-planner