Policies | Caledonian Sleeper |

We are committed to participating in Passenger Assist, the nationwide reservation system for booking assistance for train travel. 
Our Guest Service Centre responds to requests for Passenger Assist through email, phone calls and Passenger Assistance App, and answer any questions as part of the booking process.

Our Guest Ambassadors are trained and experienced colleagues who understand our services and routes. Each day, our Guest Service Centre reviews all Passenger Assistance reservations for the Caledonian Sleeper made through Passenger Assist to make sure they have been made correctly and that appropriate assistance is in place onboard and at the stations we serve. If we are not able to offer passenger assistance due to the times or location of our service, our Guest Ambassadors will work with our guests to arrange a suitable alternative. We commit to providing sufficient resources to maintain and improve the standards of Passenger Assist.

You can book two hours before the train is due to leave its originating station.

You do not need to book assistance but given the unique nature of our services, we encourage you contact us in advance to discuss your access needs.

We do not manage any stations. All stations we stop at are managed by different train operators, who are responsible for staffing. All bookings are made through Passenger Assist which station operators use to check what assistance is needed at their stations each day. Each station operator has different policies on the assistance they provide and at what times. We can give further advice on this for any guest’s journey through our Guest Service Centre, including arranging meeting points for your assistance.

You can download the Passenger Assistance app for iOS and Android here.

On our services, we are committed to assisting our guests on and off our trains and providing any help you need during your journey when this booked in advance through Passenger Assist.

The times that each station is staffed are listed on the relevant station page of the National Rail Enquiries (NRE) website and on the Accessible Travel page on our website. Our Guest Service Centre can look up this information for you if required.

When you book assistance through our Guest Service Centre our team will review the accessibility of the stations you plan to use and check that it meets your needs. If you would prefer, we can provide this information by post on request.

When assistance has been booked in advance, we are committed to helping you off the train as soon as possible on arrival at your destination, and within a maximum of five minutes where reasonably practicable. If assistance is being provided by station staff, our on-board hosts will ensure this is carried out as planned or will help you off the train if there is a problem.

If you have not booked assistance and the station is not staffed on arrival, our on-board hosts will help you on and off the train. You will need to be on the platform when your train arrives and get the attention of an onboard host who will always step onto the platform and look for guests waiting to board at each station that our service calls at. 
If the station is staffed when you arrive to board one of our services, these staff will help you within the station. If you have not booked assistance in advance, the station staff will help you if they can. As we do not operate these stations, we cannot control the delivery of this, but we do work with these operators to find ways to improve our guest experience. We have an agreement with station operators, so if for example, your destination station is staffed, we will phone them directly so they can be ready to give you additional support when you arrive.
There are ramps at all of the step-free staffed stations that we serve. We also have portable ramps on all our trains which our on-board hosts will use if they are helping you on or off the train. A ramp will always be available on dedicated coaches whether you have booked assistance in advance.

Whilst we do not operate any stations, we know that our service will often call at stations during the night when stations may not be staffed. We will explain this to you as part of the process for booking assistance, so you know what to expect.

We work closely with the operators of stations at which our services call to improve the experience of our guests. If you book assistance through Passenger Assist, you can plan assistance for a journey which involves more than one operator all in one booking. The person making your booking will check you have enough time to make connections.
As we do not operate any stations, our on-board hosts are unable to assist you beyond the platform. In addition, we cannot control the information which operators share about their station facilities. The best place to find information on any temporary limits on accessibility is the station page of the NRE website – you can access this  at www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations or contact us and we can check for you. In all cases, we will check station accessibility if you book assistance with us through our Guest Service Centre, as well as verifying all bookings made through the Passenger Assistance App. If you are travelling with luggage, we are happy to help you. However, we only know you need help if you have booked the service through Passenger Assist. If you are not able to book, we will offer help whenever we can but cannot guarantee it. There is no charge for helping with your luggage.

Please consider the weight, size, and quantity of your luggage as there is limited space available on board. Items of luggage must also be a safe for our staff to lift. If possible, please only have:
•    one item of hand luggage (that you must be able to hold on your lap if necessary); and
•    up to two items of luggage no bigger than 30cm x 70cm x 90cm.

Everyone needs a reservation to travel on the Caledonian Sleeper, in addition to your ticket. You will be assigned a room or seat as part of this process.

There is a dedicated wheelchair space in our seated coach. Guests are allocated a coach based on their destination as the train divides along the route. Priority for the wheelchair space is given to guests who have reserved the space in advance.

We welcome guide and assistance dog on our trains. Please let an on-board host know how we can make your dog comfortable by providing water for example. If you are travelling with us in seated accommodation, please contact our Guest Service Centre in advance to reserve the seat next to you to enable your dog to sit safely at your feet. There is no additional cost for this booking. We can also upgrade you to a room, free of charge, if one is available.

View our pet policy here.

Our leaflet ‘Making Rail Accessible is available:
•    in print at our main departure stations that our services leave from.
•    on our website as an accessible PDF.

This document is available:
•    on our website; and
•    in print at all our main departure stations that our services leave from
•    by post upon request free of charge. We will send it within seven working days.

Any posters or signage at stations relating to our services are at a height which means they can be easily read by wheelchair users.

Although we do not operate any stations, we are committed to regularly seeking the latest information about accessibility features of stations we call at. We will keep this updated and make this information available:
•    Via our Guest Service Centre which is online 24 hours a day via our live chat
•    on our website https://www.sleeper.scot/ and
•    National Rail Accessibility Map is used by our Guest Service Centre
•    Find a Station | National Rail is used by our Guest Service Centre
•    by post on request within seven working days free of charge.

We provide a comprehensive range of information about the stations our services call at including the availability and accessibility levels of toilets, waiting areas, staffing hours and help points. We continually work with the station operators to source all the information we need about their stations to ensure it is always accurate. We are committed to verifying the accuracy of the information contained in the guide as part of the annual review of our Accessible Travel Policy. In the meantime, we will continue to keep our website updated.

Because the Caledonian Sleeper service runs during the night, we do not make onboard announcements except in an emergency. If you wish to receive audio or visual updates during the journey (for example to let you know that you are approaching your stop), you can request this from our onboard hosts when you board and they will speak to you at the appropriate time, giving you sufficient time to leave the train.

If your journey is going to be disrupted (for example due to planned engineering works) our Guest Service Centre will contact you in the way you said you would prefer when you booked assistance. If you would find this useful, please get in touch and ensure we have your correct contact details. We will explain the expected impact of the disruption and discuss the options for alternative arrangements.
If you are staying in a room, you can request a wake-up call or be notified of delays if you wish. Staff will visit your room personally if the in-room phone is inaccessible. The same applies to guests in our seated coach. Our seated coaches have screens which give information about stopping times.

We strive to provide you with a comfortable and relaxing journey. If you experience a problem on board our trains, please tell a member of staff who will try to find a solution to minimise any inconvenience. If there are any problems with our on-board accessibility features, such a serious fault with an accessible room you have booked, we will contact you via your preferred method of communication.

You can get all the information you need to plan and prepare for your journey with us from our Guest Service Centre and by visiting our website.  We have designated information points at most of the stations we call at which provide real-time departure information, in addition to customer information screens. There are also Help Points at the stations which you can use 24 hours a day for timetable information.

If you book assistance, we will let you know where the meeting point is. Larger stations usually have a designated point (e.g., a booking office or mobility assistance lounge) but if there are no station staff on duty, we will usually agree to meet you on the platform as the train arrives. The meeting point will be confirmed in your Passenger Assist booking confirmation.

If there are no staff at a station we stop at, the ticket gates will be left open.

All of our telephone services, for example the Guest Service Centre, include a text relay service. 
We currently use Next Generation Text.

We have worked with Shaw Trust to improve the accessibility of our website. The website has been tested by users who are disabled and use assistive technologies such as JAWS, NVDA screen readers, Dragon voice activation software and Zoom Text magnification.  We have changed our website to WCAG Level AA standards and aim to have this fully accredited in 2024.

Note: this could not happen in 2023 due to the transfer in 2023.  Our new website will be live in 2024.

We have a dedicated page on our website called “Accessible Travel” which can be accessed from our homepage. This page includes the following, in HTML format:

•    a clear and simple summary of Passenger Assist.
•    the contact details to book Passenger Assist and purchase a ticket.
•    information on discounts such as railcards.
•    a list of our on-board facilities, particularly features within accessible rooms.
•    a link to download our Accessible Travel Policy and details of how to get this in alternative formats.
•    information on how to make a complaint and seek redress if your booked assistance was not provided.

The easiest and cheapest way to buy a ticket to travel on the Caledonian Sleeper is from us directly. At the same time, we can also address your access needs and book assistance if needed. When you book tickets with us, we will send you an e-ticket and confirmation by email. You can either show this to staff on your phone or print them out before you travel. If you cannot do this, we can post your ticket to you.

You can also use a valid national rail ticket provided you also have a reservation for the Caledonian Sleeper. You can buy national rail tickets from ticket machines at stations, which can apply discounts for Disabled Persons Railcard holders. These tickets must be valid between stations served by Caledonian Sleeper for part or all of your journey. You also need to make a reservation to travel on the Caledonian Sleeper service through our Guest Service Centre. Unless you book a room supplement, a ticket and reservation allow you to travel in seated accommodation only.

You cannot buy or collect Caledonian Sleeper tickets from station ticket machines. We will send you an e-ticket by email to present on your phone or to print at home if you prefer. We can also send your ticket by post if you prefer.

If you are a disabled guest and unable to purchase a ticket before your journey, you can buy one on-board without penalty with any eligible discounts. However, there is limited availability for our wheelchair spaces and accessible rooms, so we recommend booking in advance.

Reservations for wheelchair spaces and accessible rooms need to be made by contacting our Guest Service Centre. It is not currently possible to book these on our website. We are also aware that, because our accessible rooms are comparatively spacious, they may be booked by guests without access needs. We therefore keep this policy under regular review and consult with our Accessibility Panel.

We want to welcome as many disabled and older guests as possible. However, we know that there are additional considerations for safety and comfort when travelling on an overnight service. We therefore take care to think through the consequences of any breakdown in a disabled or older person’s ability to access the service in the way that was expected.

As part of the journey planning and assistance booking process our Guest Service Centre, will talk through:
•    Accessibility of the stations you plan to use.
•    Accessibility of our trains including rooms, toilets, and shower facilities; and
•    Staffing levels at the stations you plan to use.

When booking your journey, it might become apparent that we need to arrange alternative accessible transport for you because you wish to use a station that is inaccessible to you (for example, because of stairs). Alternative accessible transport will, at no extra cost, take you between the inaccessible station and the nearest or most convenient one that is accessible to you.

When we organise rail replacement services because of planned or unplanned disruption, we use suppliers to coordinate vehicles that meet your needs. We will always ensure there is an accessible option for you. For this reason, we will discuss your needs before booking rail replacement, giving you the added choice to re-book your travel with us or explore other travel options based on your needs.

We are aware that travelling long distances by road or staying in a hotel might be difficult for a disabled or older person. For this reason, we encourage you to contact our Guest Service Centre to discuss your needs in advance. We aim to be open and transparent, enabling you to make informed decisions.

Accessible taxis are usually unable to carry scooters and so we cannot guarantee the arrangements set out above can be offered to scooter users. If you are a scooter user, we will explore and discuss with you what options are available. This will include understanding if your scooter can be folded and whether your scooter can be safely secured in the vehicle. If neither of these options are possible, we will work with you to look at alternatives such as supporting you to travel home (securing your scooter safely overnight) and arranging transport for you to collect your scooter the next day or as soon as possible.

Like most trains across the UK, we can carry wheelchairs, scooters and rollators which are no larger than 70cm x 120xm and a combined weight of guest and wheelchair/scooter of 300kg. Guests are asked to check the size and weight before travelling to avoid disappointment. 

Scooter users can stay in the scooter if they wish but may prefer to transfer to a seat.

Please note the restrictions in the section above above regarding alternative transport for scooter users.

We understand that disruption to facilities and services can have a significant impact on accessibility and on the confidence of disabled people in rail travel. When disruption happens, we do everything we can to ensure that, wherever possible, you are able to continue your journey.

In cases of planned disruption, we do everything we can to find and use accessible rail replacement vehicles. Given the rural locations of our services and unsocial hours of operation, sometimes we depend on accessible taxis to meet the needs of our guests. 

We do not manage any stations along our route, so we are unable to escort guests to connecting trains. If our train is moved to a different platform at short notice and you are due to be met by staff at that station, we will make sure you are helped off the train in time and wait with you until the staff member arrives. 

Our onboard hosts and staff who check and maintain our trains report any serious faults in our accessibility features. In the absence of a short-term solution, we will contact any disabled or older guests before they travel to explain and discuss options. We will also inform the Guest Service Centre.

Where rail replacement services are not accessible for you, we will organise alternative accessible transport suitable for your needs (see Section above).

Where you have booked assistance for a journey that because of disruption no longer meets your needs, our Guest Service Centre will contact you by your preferred contact method. They will tell you about the anticipated disruption and discuss what alternative arrangements might need to be put in place.  This will be provided at no additional charge. If you would find this useful, please get in touch and ensure we have your correct contact details.

If you are already travelling with us when unplanned disruption occurs, our on-board hosts will discuss this with you and arrange how to get to you to your destination. If you have not yet boarded the train and are waiting at an unstaffed station, please contact us for more information via an Information Point or Help Point.

We understand that you may need additional assistance in an emergency. All of our on-board staff are trained in these procedures, including evacuating the train. In most cases, it is safer to stay on the train if there is an incident. However, our onboard hosts will help all guests off the train (including those with mobility issues) if there is risk of danger to life. We will then also organise onward travel for you and accommodation if appropriate. 

We do not operate any stations. However, we understand station accessibility may be a key issue in planning your journey and so our Guest Service Centre can provide you with the information you need.

Accessible shower facilities

On board our trains, there are only en-suite shower facilities in Club rooms. There are no showers facilities provided for guests in our seated coach or accessible rooms.

Whilst there are no accessible shower facilities on board our trains, guests staying in accessible rooms can use the accessible shower facilities at London Euston, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Fort William, Dundee, Leuchars, Perth, and Inverness free of charge. These are gender-neutral facilities. Our Guest Service Centre can provide further information.

Left Luggage

There are staffed left luggage facilities with step-free access the following stations:

• Glasgow Central: Monday to Saturday 6am to midnight. Sunday 7am to midnight
• Edinburgh Waverley: Monday to Sunday, 7am to 11pm
• Inverness: Monday to Sunday, 7am to 9pm
• London Euston: Monday to Sunday, 7am to 11pm

Parking

You can find information about parking facilities, including Blue Badge Bays, on our website, or on the National Rail Accessibility Map.

If you experience a problem, please let our onboard hosts know so we can try to resolve the issue immediately. 

When assistance has been booked in advance, confirmed, and was not provided, please let us know and we will investigate this thoroughly. When you contact us with any complaint (by phone, post, or email) we aim to respond fully in 10 working days. If there is a reason, we cannot do that, we will keep you updated until we can respond.

After we have investigated the matter, we will explain to you why assistance was not provided and what steps will be taken to ensure it does not happen again. We may also offer compensation, such as a full or partial refund. Alternatively, or additionally, you may want reassuring that our staff training has been updated to help stop the issue happening again. This will be determined on a case-by-case basis to ensure we do the right thing. 

We will respond to any claim about assistance which failed if you were travelling on, or due to travel on, one of our train services. If you booked assistance with us for a journey to travel with more than one operator (including our services) you only need to make one claim. We will coordinate the response for you unless the bulk of the failed assistance was provided by another operator, in which case they may respond to you directly. If we make arrangements for the claim to be passed to another operator, we will ask your permission first.

We actively seek feedback from our guests and our Accessibility Panel as part of our planning processes. We understand that the unique nature of our service makes it a convenient and appealing option for disabled travellers. We strive to ensure that our service is accessible to all guests and actively seek to improve our facilities.

We consider accessibility in everything we do and recognise this as part of continuous improvement. Our Guest Experience Director has overall responsibility for our Accessible Travel Policy. 

Our Guest Experience Director ensures that accessibility is a central part of our business plans and of the planning stage of all relevant major projects. This involves leading a culture of valuing inclusion in all areas of the business. We consciously lead accessibility from the Guest Experience division of the business because we understand that standards must go beyond the minimum and consider the whole experience of a disabled guest.

In terms of implementing our policy, the following colleagues report to the Guest Experience Director:
•    Head of Guest Experience Service Delivery
•    Guest Service Centre Manager 
•    Head of Service Delivery
•    Head of Operations 

All our managers and staff receive disability awareness training which includes ensuring they understand their role in fulfilling this policy. Our onboard hosts, who provide assistance and information to our older and disabled guests every day, are actively encouraged to suggest improvements. These are recorded and reviewed by our Guest Experience Director personally.

Our Guest Experience Director champions accessibility within our business and ensures all senior leaders within the business are fully aware of the requirements of their own teams in fulfilling our accessibility commitments and obligations.

To ensure the standards and commitments in this policy are consistently achieved, we have monitoring and evaluation mechanisms in place.

We record all feedback, including complaints and compliments, received from our guests about accessibility. These may relate to the journey planning process (including booking assistance) or the journey experience. Our Guest Experience Director reviews these personally.

We also aim to monitor:
•    the number of ticket sales for our services using a Disabled Persons Railcard (DPRC), although we need to improve the mechanisms through which we collect this information.
•    the experience of older and disabled people using our trains through survey questions. 
•    assistance booked through our Guest Service Centre and how many rooms are booked for accessibility; and
•    Passenger Assist bookings made by guests and delivered by staff (whether booked or not).

To enable the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to independently monitor our progress we commit to sharing our performance data. As part of our annual review, we provide the ORR with details on key actions we are taking in order to improve our performance.

Access to the stations we serve, and the facilities and assistance available, varies considerably. Most of the stations that we serve were built in the 19th century when inclusion of disabled people was rarely considered. Key improvements have been made at a number of stations across the national rail network and we will work with station operators to continue to improve the stations we serve. We have processes and policies in place to combat inconsistency and maximise a disabled guest’s experience, such as providing assistance and/or alternative accessible transport. 

Any improvements we make will meet the persons of reduced mobility technical specification (PRM TSI) and the Joint Code of Practice. If this is not possible, we will apply for derogations against the PRM-TSI and/or dispensations against the Joint Code of Practice, after every effort has been made to comply with the requirements.

In 2023, we opened a new, dedicated Caledonian Sleeper lounge and London Euston, located of the platform from which our services depart and arrive. The new lounge is fully accessible. We have also re-introduced access to the LNER lounge at Edinburgh Waverley.  This lounge is fully accessible.

In 2024/25. We plan to make the following improvements:
•    Fully review and improve our website.  We have worked in conjunction with our Accessibility Panel and the Shaw Trust to ensure that the improvements meet particular needs.
•    Make improvements to the shower facilities in our Inverness lounge which are not fully accessible at present.
•    Review our Accessibility and Equality staff training provision.
•    Create a staff accessibility forum with a mix of people who work for Caledonian Sleeper.

We have a shared budget with Scotrail for minor work to improve access at stations. Each year, our Guest Experience Director, working with our new Accessibility Panel, plans how we will spend this in consultation with the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC), Transport Focus, Network Rail and the relevant train operators managing the stations.  We will also consult with Transport Scotland on any enhancement opportunities.

We have an Accessibility Panel who meet at least twice a year. The Panel is comprised of:

•    Guests who have travelled on our services and potential guests who might have identified barriers to using our services. 
•    People who have experience of receiving assistance from us to use our services.
•    People with visible and non-visible impairments; and
•    People who experience a range of access barriers (related to a range of impairments and to characteristics such as age, income, and confidence levels).

The purpose of the Accessibility Panel is to be an independent sounding board for us on accessibility issues, to critique our plans and propose ideas for improving the experiences of our disabled and older guests.

They also help us to prioritise our investment plans and advise on how to raise awareness of assisted travel by signposting us to influential organisations in their networks.

Accessibility consultants with lived experience of disability are commissioned to regularly review our progress and provide expert advice in improving access to our older and disabled guests.
Our Guest Experience Director works with and involves groups representing disabled people and other stakeholders such as Mobility Access Committee Scotland. 

We address accessibility issues as they arise during our regular stakeholder meetings with regional transport partnerships in Scotland, local authorities, councils and community rail partnerships and interest groups.  We also invite our guests and interested stakeholders to give us feedback at our ‘Meet the Manager’ events every three months, by contacting our Guest Service Centre, or on our website.

All of our onboard hosts and colleagues in our Guest Service Centre receive disability awareness training when they start working for us and complete an e-learning every year to refresh their knowledge. every year. A key outcome is for staff to communicate clearly and feel confident to respectfully ask guests with a range of access needs and impairments how they can best meet individual needs. Staff also learn about key equipment such as ramps and in-room intercoms.

 
The training also includes guidance on assisting guests with visible and non-visible impairments. We provide an annual report to Transport Scotland and ORR on the training our staff have received.

Topics covered in our training packages include:
•    Understanding disabled people’s everyday challenges.
•    Equality legislation.
•    Defining disability.
•    Recognising guests who need assistance.
•    Rail regulatory framework.
•    Passenger Assist.
•    Communication.
•    Station accessibility.
•    Providing safe assistance.