| Re: Bath disabled woman had to 'crawl on hands and knees' to get off GWR train Posted by bobm at 15:13, 6th October 2026 |     |
The other thing with two 5 cars coupled is there become a range for formations. Front five in reverse, rear five not etc. etc. So far the casual traveller who sat in A last week and found it in the middle of the train, may find it is at the front this week.
| Re: Bath disabled woman had to 'crawl on hands and knees' to get off GWR train Posted by IndustryInsider at 14:38, 6th October 2026 | |
Encouragingly, Network Rail has a planning application in earlier this year to lengthen Bath Spa station's platform 1.
*Edit* It received consent in August.
https://www.bathecho.co.uk/news/planning/network-rail-extend-platform-bath-station-117137/
*Edit* It received consent in August.
https://www.bathecho.co.uk/news/planning/network-rail-extend-platform-bath-station-117137/
I did hear there were plans in the pipeline, though an extension of 6.5 metres still won't enable all doors to open of course.
All it will do is give a bit more tolerance where the driver has to be extremely precise at the moment. And for 10-car units instead of the 1,2,3 and 20th door not opening, it will become doors 1,18,19 and 20 - in other words, it will be the rear vehicle which may contain wheelchair spaces that won't be platformed, rather than the front.
| Re: Bath disabled woman had to 'crawl on hands and knees' to get off GWR train Posted by a-driver at 14:26, 6th October 2026 | |
This is often a risk when a train is in reverse formation.
A train I was on yesterday was bound for Weston-super-Mare but had the first class coaches leading.
There were two parties heading for Yatton in standard class and their seat reservations were in coach B - which would normally be platformed at Yatton (and indeed Nailsea & Backwell) but with the train in reverse they would be off the back.
The train manager spotted it when he checked their tickets and suggested they got out at Temple Meads and walked down the platform to coach G.
A train I was on yesterday was bound for Weston-super-Mare but had the first class coaches leading.
There were two parties heading for Yatton in standard class and their seat reservations were in coach B - which would normally be platformed at Yatton (and indeed Nailsea & Backwell) but with the train in reverse they would be off the back.
The train manager spotted it when he checked their tickets and suggested they got out at Temple Meads and walked down the platform to coach G.
I did wonder if it all stemmed from the set being in reverse. If you paid for First Class seats, you’d understandably want to sit in those First Class seats. Being in a wheelchair should not be a barrier to that. In an ideal world, a 10-car train should be fully accommodated at all platforms and no one, staff or passenger, should be put in these sort of situations.
| Re: Bath disabled woman had to 'crawl on hands and knees' to get off GWR train Posted by bobm at 13:49, 6th October 2026 | |
This is often a risk when a train is in reverse formation.
A train I was on yesterday was bound for Weston-super-Mare but had the first class coaches leading.
There were two parties heading for Yatton in standard class and their seat reservations were in coach B - which would normally be platformed at Yatton (and indeed Nailsea & Backwell) but with the train in reverse they would be off the back.
The train manager spotted it when he checked their tickets and suggested they got out at Temple Meads and walked down the platform to coach G.
| Re: Bath disabled woman had to 'crawl on hands and knees' to get off GWR train Posted by a-driver at 12:49, 6th October 2026 | |
At Bath Spa a 9-car unit stops with front and rear door isolated, which means that the doors by the wheelchair accommodation open at both ends.
So this must have been a 10-car train and she must have been in the front carriage as it's the front three doors and rear door that don't open on a 10-car unit.
And that, coupled with the claim in the article that "Her family spoke to the assistance desk and was taken to the only designated wheelchair space on the train" makes me interested in hearing the other side of the story
| Re: Bath disabled woman had to 'crawl on hands and knees' to get off GWR train Posted by Mark A at 12:32, 6th October 2026 | |
Encouragingly, Network Rail has a planning application in earlier this year to lengthen Bath Spa station's platform 1.
*Edit* It received consent in August.
https://www.bathecho.co.uk/news/planning/network-rail-extend-platform-bath-station-117137/
| Re: Bath disabled woman had to 'crawl on hands and knees' to get off GWR train Posted by IndustryInsider at 12:23, 6th October 2026 | |
What's the process for organising the train to set back?
It would have needed to be drawn forward a coach length, but it would never be authorised because it would mean manually releasing the doors which is what they don't like.
It's really unusual for it not to be picked up during the journey. It's not unheard of to delay a train at a station whilst a passenger is moved do a different part of the train.
Yes, incidents like this are very rare thankfully.
At Bath Spa a 9-car unit stops with front and rear door isolated, which means that the doors by the wheelchair accommodation open at both ends.
So this must have been a 10-car train and she must have been in the front carriage as it's the front three doors and rear door that don't open on a 10-car unit.
As a-driver says, opening doors manually not at the designated stopping point on a platform is frowned upon as it imports extra risks and quite considerable delay, especially if that means setting back as the driver needs to change ends twice. Permission needs to be sought from the signaller, and everyone - Driver, TM, Despatcher's - need to come to a clear understanding of the plan.
Had it been known in advance the train could have been routed into the other platform (the 'Up' one) as that is long enough to accommodate a 10-car train, but that obviously might cause quite a few delays in itself to services coming the other way.
It would be expensive to lengthen the 'Down' platform because of the way the station is built, but it's far from ideal having such a popular station having to use SDO on one of its platforms.
| Re: Bath disabled woman had to 'crawl on hands and knees' to get off GWR train Posted by a-driver at 11:57, 6th October 2026 | |
What's the process for organising the train to set back?
It would have needed to be drawn forward a coach length, but it would never be authorised because it would mean manually releasing the doors which is what they don't like.
It's really unusual for it not to be picked up during the journey. It's not unheard of to delay a train at a station whilst a passenger is moved do a different part of the train.
| Re: Bath disabled woman had to 'crawl on hands and knees' to get off GWR train Posted by Mark A at 11:43, 6th October 2026 | |
What's the process for organising the train to set back?
| Re: Bath disabled woman had to 'crawl on hands and knees' to get off GWR train Posted by PhilWakely at 10:16, 6th October 2026 | |
Phoebe and her parents had been returning to Bath, where she now lives, after attending a concert in London the night before, which she bought as a gift for her mum and dad before her diagnosis.
When they got to Bath Spa, she said they were told by staff to stay on the train and get off at Bristol Temple Meads - a 15-20 minute journey - before buying another ticket back to Bath Spa so she could get off.
When they got to Bath Spa, she said they were told by staff to stay on the train and get off at Bristol Temple Meads - a 15-20 minute journey - before buying another ticket back to Bath Spa so she could get off.
She should not have had to buy another ticket to get back to Bath having been over-carried!
| Bath disabled woman had to 'crawl on hands and knees' to get off GWR train Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 04:33, 6th October 2026 | |
From the BBC:
Disabled woman had to 'crawl on hands and knees' to get off train
Phoebe Tesoriere has spent almost nine months "fighting to get an answer" from Great Western Railway - Image © Phoebe Tesoriere
A wheelchair user was left in tears as she crawled on her "hands and knees" through a train after being told a ramp could not be used to help her off.
Phoebe Tesoriere, 24, was on a Great Western Railway (GWR) train from London Paddington to Bath Spa with her parents when it happened.
Her family spoke to the assistance desk and was taken to the only designated wheelchair space on the train. Phoebe said she was assured a ramp and assistance would be waiting, but on arrival was told she was in a carriage beyond the platform, leaving her unable to get off.
GWR said it was "really sorry" and admitted "we let her down, both when we helped her board and at several points during her journey".
Phoebe, who has hereditary spastic paraplegia, which causes weakness and stiffness in the leg muscles, said: "My mum specifically asked if a ramp and assistance would be waiting at Bath Spa. We were assured it would be."
While on the train, staff checked which station she would be getting off at numerous times during the incident in December 2025, she added.
Despite this, Phoebe was not told the carriage she was directed to would stop beyond the platform, leaving her unable to use a ramp to get off.
Phoebe and her parents had been returning to Bath, where she now lives, after attending a concert in London the night before, which she bought as a gift for her mum and dad before her diagnosis.
When they got to Bath Spa, she said they were told by staff to stay on the train and get off at Bristol Temple Meads - a 15-20 minute journey - before buying another ticket back to Bath Spa so she could get off.
The family explained this was not possible as Phoebe's grandparents were waiting at the station to pick them up and take her back to Caerphilly, where she was living at the time.
Phoebe said she was told by staff to try and get her wheelchair through the train aisle, but it did not fit so she crawled through three carriages.
"I was crying. People were staring," she said. "One passenger reached down to stroke my back and apologised to me, telling me what was happening wasn't acceptable. "She was trying to comfort me, but in that moment I felt like a dog."
Phoebe's mum Kirstin Tesoriere said watching the incident was "traumatic" and left her feeling "helpless".
"When I close my eyes I can still see it, the pity on other passengers' faces. It was humiliating for her."
Phoebe said her parents lifted her back into her wheelchair to get off the train using the ramp, but staff were not waiting to assist her.
Phoebe wants to see a big improvement in accessible transport in the UK. She said: "It's ridiculous that disabled passengers are still expected to go through this." Due to the nature of Phoebe's diagnosis, her condition is expected to get worse over time.
Kirstin said she wanted to "make lovely memories" with her daughter but that the family had not used public transport since the incident. "She's just scared now and she's already lost so much to her diagnosis," she said. "You just want your children to be happy."
Phoebe made a formal complaint to GWR on the day it happened, but the investigation was not completed until May. In its response, the train company admitted Phoebe's experience was "extremely poor" and took accountability for what went wrong.
It confirmed Phoebe would receive compensation but, despite sending her bank details as requested, she has still not received any money and said GWR had "ignored every email I have sent" since June. "Nearly nine months after I complained, I am still fighting to get an answer. No disabled passenger should ever have to crawl."
Kirstin said she understood "mistakes were made" but believes her daughter has been treated "inexcusably" since then. "I can't forgive them for how they've made an awful traumatic experience last for months," she added.
In emails seen by BBC Wales, GWR said it had made changes to "how we manage passenger assist for customers travelling from London Paddington" as a result of Phoebe's complaint.
It said: "There were opportunities for us to recognise that there would be an issue at Bath Spa, and we failed to identify them. In my view, the situation you were placed in - and your subsequent action to leave the train - was entirely avoidable. Put simply, this should not have happened. I am truly sorry for the distressing and uncomfortable experience you had when leaving the service."
In response to BBC Wales, GWR said: "We are really sorry. Ms Tesoriere should have been able to travel with confidence and dignity and we let her down, both when we helped her board and at several points during her journey where we had opportunities to put it right.
"We have apologised to her personally and have made improvements to how we support customers boarding at London Paddington, so no-one else goes through this."
Regarding her compensation, a spokesman added that the company was "doing everything we can to complete the final steps as quickly as possible".
Phoebe Tesoriere has spent almost nine months "fighting to get an answer" from Great Western Railway - Image © Phoebe Tesoriere
A wheelchair user was left in tears as she crawled on her "hands and knees" through a train after being told a ramp could not be used to help her off.
Phoebe Tesoriere, 24, was on a Great Western Railway (GWR) train from London Paddington to Bath Spa with her parents when it happened.
Her family spoke to the assistance desk and was taken to the only designated wheelchair space on the train. Phoebe said she was assured a ramp and assistance would be waiting, but on arrival was told she was in a carriage beyond the platform, leaving her unable to get off.
GWR said it was "really sorry" and admitted "we let her down, both when we helped her board and at several points during her journey".
Phoebe, who has hereditary spastic paraplegia, which causes weakness and stiffness in the leg muscles, said: "My mum specifically asked if a ramp and assistance would be waiting at Bath Spa. We were assured it would be."
While on the train, staff checked which station she would be getting off at numerous times during the incident in December 2025, she added.
Despite this, Phoebe was not told the carriage she was directed to would stop beyond the platform, leaving her unable to use a ramp to get off.
Phoebe and her parents had been returning to Bath, where she now lives, after attending a concert in London the night before, which she bought as a gift for her mum and dad before her diagnosis.
When they got to Bath Spa, she said they were told by staff to stay on the train and get off at Bristol Temple Meads - a 15-20 minute journey - before buying another ticket back to Bath Spa so she could get off.
The family explained this was not possible as Phoebe's grandparents were waiting at the station to pick them up and take her back to Caerphilly, where she was living at the time.
Phoebe said she was told by staff to try and get her wheelchair through the train aisle, but it did not fit so she crawled through three carriages.
"I was crying. People were staring," she said. "One passenger reached down to stroke my back and apologised to me, telling me what was happening wasn't acceptable. "She was trying to comfort me, but in that moment I felt like a dog."
Phoebe's mum Kirstin Tesoriere said watching the incident was "traumatic" and left her feeling "helpless".
"When I close my eyes I can still see it, the pity on other passengers' faces. It was humiliating for her."
Phoebe said her parents lifted her back into her wheelchair to get off the train using the ramp, but staff were not waiting to assist her.
Phoebe wants to see a big improvement in accessible transport in the UK. She said: "It's ridiculous that disabled passengers are still expected to go through this." Due to the nature of Phoebe's diagnosis, her condition is expected to get worse over time.
Kirstin said she wanted to "make lovely memories" with her daughter but that the family had not used public transport since the incident. "She's just scared now and she's already lost so much to her diagnosis," she said. "You just want your children to be happy."
Phoebe made a formal complaint to GWR on the day it happened, but the investigation was not completed until May. In its response, the train company admitted Phoebe's experience was "extremely poor" and took accountability for what went wrong.
It confirmed Phoebe would receive compensation but, despite sending her bank details as requested, she has still not received any money and said GWR had "ignored every email I have sent" since June. "Nearly nine months after I complained, I am still fighting to get an answer. No disabled passenger should ever have to crawl."
Kirstin said she understood "mistakes were made" but believes her daughter has been treated "inexcusably" since then. "I can't forgive them for how they've made an awful traumatic experience last for months," she added.
In emails seen by BBC Wales, GWR said it had made changes to "how we manage passenger assist for customers travelling from London Paddington" as a result of Phoebe's complaint.
It said: "There were opportunities for us to recognise that there would be an issue at Bath Spa, and we failed to identify them. In my view, the situation you were placed in - and your subsequent action to leave the train - was entirely avoidable. Put simply, this should not have happened. I am truly sorry for the distressing and uncomfortable experience you had when leaving the service."
In response to BBC Wales, GWR said: "We are really sorry. Ms Tesoriere should have been able to travel with confidence and dignity and we let her down, both when we helped her board and at several points during her journey where we had opportunities to put it right.
"We have apologised to her personally and have made improvements to how we support customers boarding at London Paddington, so no-one else goes through this."
Regarding her compensation, a spokesman added that the company was "doing everything we can to complete the final steps as quickly as possible".
Would any of the directors of Great Western Railway be prepared to comment, in response to this topic here? We do know that at least one of them is a registered member of the Coffee Shop forum.
Chris from Nailsea.
