Inclusivity driving the designs of East West Rail’s stations

Members of East West Railway Company’s Accessibility Advisory Panel (AAP) are helping to futureproof the inclusive design of stations along a new railway between Oxford and Cambridge.

The panel visited stations still to be built or remodelled along the proposed route to assess facilities for disabled passengers. 

Members of the panel, who have various disabilities, visited Bedford, Bletchley, and Bicester Village stations to provide feedback on issues such as layout, signage, navigation and the overall passenger experience. The visits highlighted both accessibility challenges and examples of facilities that are already meeting disabled people’s needs. 

c: EWR Co

Barriers to travel don’t come from impairments, they come from poor design, processes and attitudes,” commented Co-Chair of EWR Co’s Accessibility Advisory Panel, and independent inclusive transport consultant, Mary Doyle.

“We have a once in a generation opportunity and duty to build a railway that will last for 200 years which truly includes everyone, right from the start.” 

The Accessibility Advisory Panel was established to ensure the voices of disabled passengers are central to the design process of the railway. Made up of 12 local residents from across the route, the panel is thought to be the first of its kind considering inclusive design issues at the outset of building a new railway.   

East West Rail highlights these visits as a reflection of the company’s commitment to designing a railway that is inclusive for all.

c: EWR Co

“We must get it right now through an inclusive design culture and make it flexible enough for all people who are disabled, neurodivergent or older so they can travel with confidence, consistency and dignity. East West Rail are aiming to be the accessibility gold standard and bring joy back to rail,” Doyle added. 

Members of EWR Co’s architectural and design teams, along with representatives from EWR principal designer MWJV – a joint venture between WSP and Mott MacDonald – joined the station visits. Their participation allowed them to engage directly with the panel members’ lived experiences and gather meaningful, first-hand insights. 

c: EWR Co

Laura Lewis, Human Factors and Inclusive Design Lead for EWR, stated: “It was powerful having our design team on-site with us. Seeing the impact of designs first-hand should enable them to put themselves in the shoes of disabled people and to develop more accessible solutions.” 

The station visits build on previous work by the AAP after it created a list of priority issues for disabled rail passengers.