Atkins hits rail accessibility audit landmark

Atkins has completed the 1,000th stations accessibly audit at Oban railway station in Scotland, as part of a government programme to boost inclusivity across the transportation network.

The audit – which was originally pledged in the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail - will help identify improvements and highlight existing areas of excellence. The findings will help people with accessibility needs better plan their journeys and will help shape future investment in accessible rail travel as a part of the government’s national disability strategy.

Atkins was appointed by the Department for Transport to lead the work, supported by specialist partners from global technology company ABB; software as a service business K2Fly; equality, diversity and inclusion specialists, Goss Consultancy; data management and intelligent mobility pioneers You.Smart.Thing.; surveying and sustainability engineering consultants, Crayside Consulting; survey, mapping & measurement specialists 1st Horizon and project and cost management consultancy CPC.

The 1,000th station accessibility audit comes eight months into the programme, which will audit all 2,500+ stations over the next two years. The findings will enable the government to remove barriers and improve confidence for disabled travellers as they return to public transport after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sukhy Duggal, Atkins client director for the DfT, said: “Reaching this milestone marks a significant point in this important project. It will deliver the DfT with a comprehensive data set which will inform investment decisions and provide the travelling public with reliable, accessibility information that improves the passenger experience.”