Most rail stations across South Yorkshire are accessible to all. At some stations, staff are available to offer assistance. At smaller, unstaffed stations, on-train staff are able to offer assistance for people who may need help boarding or leaving the train. Ramps are always available if needed to help people on and off trains.
South Yorkshire is served by six different rail operators. All recommend that if you require assistance to make a train journey – for example if you use a wheelchair or have a visual impairment and will need to be helped on or off the train – you contact them at least 24 hours in advance. Contact details are provided further down this page.
When planning a journey by train, the National Rail Enquiries website has a range of useful information for passengers with disabilities. This includes a journey planner, which will tell you the train company you will be travelling with so you are able to book any assistance you need, and a guide to the accessibility of every station in the country.
This includes a route planning option, allowing you to plan your way around an unfamiliar station with directions and pictures. To find this, enter the station you wish to find information about on this page, click 'Search' and choose the Stations Made Easy option on the following page.
All rail operators serving South Yorkshire have helpful information about using their services on their websites. This can be found by using the links below. Links are also provided to help you book assistance for your journey and to the operators’ Disabled People’s Protection Policy (DPPP), which all must produce, where it is available online.
- Cross Country - offering links from Doncaster and Sheffield across the country. Book assistance by calling 0844 811 0125 and view their DPPP here
- East Coast - providing services from Doncaster to London, the North East and Scotland. Book assistance here or by calling 08457 225 225 and view their DPPP here
- East Midlands Trains - linking Sheffield to London, the East Midlands, the North West and East Anglia. Book assistance here or by calling 08457 125 678 and view their DPPP here
- Hull Trains - stopping at Doncaster en route from Humberside to London. Book assistance by calling 08450 710 222
- Northern Rail - providing local services around South Yorkshire and beyond. Book assistance by calling 0845 600 8008 and view their DPPP here
- TransPennine Express - calling at Sheffield, Meadowhall and Doncaster en route from Manchester Airport to the East Coast. Book assistance by calling 0800 107 2149 and view their DPPP here.
Cheaper rail fares
Concessionary fare passes, such as the Mobility Pass, are valid within South Yorkshire, and on some journeys outside the county.
If you have a disability that makes travelling by rail difficult, you may also be eligible for a Disabled Person’s Railcard, which will offer savings on many more journeys.
Discounted rail fares are available to some people with disabilities, even if they do not hold either a pass or a railcard – for more details, please click here.
Powered scooters
Each train operator has their own regulations for carrying powered mobility scooters. Operators are not required to carry scooters and due to the different design of types of train, some are unable to accommodate them. The operators serving South Yorkshire have the following guidelines:
- Cross Country: Scooters permitted so long as they do not exceed 1200mm in length or 700mm width
- East Coast: Scooters permitted so long as they do not exceed 1200mm in length or 700mm width
- East Midlands Trains: A permit scheme is in operation. Please contact the operator for more information, on 08457 125 678
- Hull Trains: Scooters permitted so long as they do not exceed 1200mm in length or 610mm width
- Northern Rail: Only scooters which can be folded and carried on to the train as luggage can be accommodated
- TransPennine Express: Scooters cannot be accommodated on this operators services through South Yorkshire. They can be used in some areas elsewhere on the operators network – more details can be found here (PDF, 1,139kb) on pages 14, 15 and 16.
For more information about taking powered scooters on trains elsewhere on the National Rail network, please visit the National Rail Enquiries website.