Wheelchair passenger's late-night drama attempting to changing trains at main ScotRail station


A disabled rail campaigner was nearly stranded at Fife’s main rail station late at night after being unable to change platforms because the lifts were switched off and the ScotRail help point intercom was not working.
The wheelchair user also failed to get help in time to catch a connecting train despite phoning a call centre.
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Hide AdThe drama came as David Redgewell, who had travelled from Cheltenham to attend campaign group Railfuture’s annual meeting in Edinburgh on Saturday, was heading to Dundee.
He was changing trains in Kirkcaldy around 10pm after a evening tour with fellow delegates of the new Levenmouth line.
Railfuture Scotland secretary Jane Ann Liston said when the man found the lifts off and station unstaffed, he saw no obvious way of crossing to the opposite platform.
She said he had then phoned a call centre which had told him it would take 20 minutes to get help - too late for his train.
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Hide AdScotRail said its customer service staff later contacted the passenger and arranged for a taxi to take him to his destination.
Mr Redgewell said it would have taken him too long to have get to the other platform via a ramp.
He told The Scotsman: “I would not be able to join the train by means of a road bridge by the bus interchange and through the station car park [which would have taken] 20 minutes in my wheelchair.
“In south west England at night, no station lifts are switched off but monitored by camera from a control centre.
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Hide Ad“I can travel at night from stations in my wheelchair when stations are not staffed.
“Why have Scottish ministers allowed state-owned ScotRail to discriminate against passengers using wheelchair and with reduced mobility in 2024?”


Ms Liston, who is also a Fife councillor, told The Scotsman: “This is the sort of horror story that we thought was a thing of the past.
“What a dreadful impression of Scotland's railway he will take back to England after this experience.
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Hide Ad“I have asked ScotRail for an explanation and details of the steps they will take to ensure that this does not happen to any other passenger.”
ScotRail confirmed the station was unstaffed at the time of the incident, when its lifts were closed “for safety reasons”.
However, the train operator said step-free access was available to both the station’s platforms via the main road.
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Hide AdIt also admitted the station’s help point, which enables passengers to speak ScotRail staff for assistance by pressing a button, had been out of action.
The firm said: “Unfortunately, it was out of use, and the issue has now been reported and will be fixed.”
Phil Campbell, ScotRail’s customer operations director, said: “We are very sorry to our customer for their experience.
“On being alerted to the issue, our customer service staff quickly arranged a taxi to enable them to complete their journey.
“ScotRail is committed to making sure that our services are as accessible as possible.
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