Wheelchair user 'humiliated' after staff argue ramp request

Marie Blackett, 33, from Ipswich says "she has had to let go of opportunities" due to not wanting to use a train following bad experiences

A wheelchair user is calling for "better training" after railway station staff questioned her request for a ramp.

Disability activist Marie Blackett, from Ipswich, said she felt "humiliated" at Peterborough station.

She said station staff argued over her request to have a ramp fixed to the train, leaving her "embarrassed".

London North Eastern Railways (LNER) which runs the station said it took staff training "very seriously".

Marie Blackett, 33, said she was "frustrated" and had "lost count" on the number of challenging train experiences she had faced, especially at Peterborough, including no staff to help while getting off the train or staff not equipped on how to use a ramp.

Marie Blackett's husband, who did not wish to be identified, has had to help fix ramps in place for his wife

"My husband has had to fix the ramp for me on occasions and when I am travelling alone, I have had to show it to them," she said.

"I go to Colchester for a medical treatment every month and take a two-hour bus. I would rather do that than use a train."

In 2020, Greater Anglia introduced trains with a low floor and a retractable step - which bridges the gap between the train and the platform.

But Ms Blackett said this "doesn't work" for her.

"I found myself stuck using them and even damaged my wheelchair, as platform heights can vary so much," said the wheelchair user, who is reading history at the University of Suffolk.

"But the staff don't understand and pressure you to use it. This is what happened at Peterborough on 6 November while boarding a train to Newcastle.

"This as not the first bad experience here. They mutter under their breath and say things like 'this one's trouble'."

Marie Blackett said she her request for a ramp was not "an unreasonable request", but she felt "humiliated"

Ms Blackett also has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and now feels "anxious" at railway stations.

"You are not making an unreasonable request. We ask for assistance because we need it," she said.

"You get labelled as combative. But I am tired, I am disabled and travelling on my own, so don't treat me this way."

She said she felt railway staff should be trained to be "adaptable and understand every person has a different need".

"It's very regimented currently," she said.

LNER said it had contacted Ms Marie Blackett.

"We take the training of our staff seriously, and continue to work to ensure everyone enjoys the best possible experience," a spokesperson said.