As passenger rail journeys continue to increase, demand for pre-booked passenger assistance is also rising, with our statistics, published today, showing that requests for assistance are at their highest since the time series began in 2012.
Passenger assistance plays a vital role in helping those who require the service to travel safely, confidently and independently. When it’s not delivered as requested, the impact can be significant, causing disruption to journeys and distress for passengers.
The proposed framework, developed in collaboration with passenger and industry representatives including train operators, sets out the factors operators should consider when deciding what redress is appropriate. These include the nature and extent of the failure, the impact on the passenger’s journey, personal and emotional impacts, and whether the failure reflects repeated issues.
Redress may include financial remedies, such as compensation or reimbursement of additional costs, as well as non-financial solutions.
This important next step follows ORR’s October 2025 decision to tighten its Accessible Travel Policy redress rules by making it mandatory for all rail operators to assess redress claims on a case-by-case basis where booked assistance has failed.
Stephanie Tobyn, ORR’s Director of Strategy, Policy and Reform, said:
