West Midlands Railway partners with disability activist to install accessible waiting spaces on station platforms

West Midlands Railway (WMR) has installed accessible waiting spaces at more than 35 stations across its network to help wheelchair users access passenger assistance while travelling.

Working with Cameron Wood – a local disability activist who lives with Cerebral Palsy and Hydrocephalus - the spaces are designed to improve rail experiences for people with disabilities by providing a specific point for staff to meet passengers when providing assistance.

Now the spaces can be found at stations across the West Midlands, with the most recent installation at Tile Hill in Coventry. The spaces are clearly marked by a blue rectangle with a wheelchair logo and signage above the space.

Waiting spaces have been installed at WMR stations in Worcestershire such as Droitwich Spa, Worcester Foregate Street and Shrub Hill, Coventry and Warwickshire such as Coventry Arena, Kenilworth and Tile Hill, Shropshire such as Telford Central, and across Birmingham’s city centre with multiple on the popular Cross City Line.

Cameron met with WMR director of customer experience, Sophie Morris, at Tile Hill station to celebrate the scheme.

Sophie Morris, director of customer experience at WMR, said: “We are dedicated to making the railway accessible for everyone. Working with Cameron, we identified a need for these spaces and chose which stations to install them in by looking at multiple factors such as footfall and the volume of passenger assistance bookings each year. We hope they will help disabled passengers feel more confident using the rail network, while allowing our staff to provide assistance quickly.”

Cameron Wood, disability activist, said: “As a wheelchair user, rail travel has rarely been easy, however this changed in 2023 when I suggested that West Midlands Railway trial dedicated waiting spaces on station platforms across its network. The idea came from my experiences at Witton station on match days after attending games at Villa Park, and those experiences have helped drive the accessibility improvements now being introduced.

“I'm especially proud to see waiting spaces at Tile Hill station, as they will help students from Hereward College to travel more independently with friends and family.”

The passenger assistance scheme offers support to passengers who may need help boarding or alighting train services. Assistance can be booked online or via the Passenger Assistance App up to two hours before the planned journey. In 2025, WMR provided passenger assistance to over 56,000 customers.

Other accessibility improvements at WMR stations include the installation of tactile maps for those with visual impairments, British Sign Language options on digital customer information screens, and the provision of sensory packs for neurodiverse customers.

To find out more, visit Passenger Assist and accessibility | West Midlands Railway.