We're calling for free rail travel across Scotland for companions of those with a National (Scotland) Concessionary Travel for Blind Persons card.
We did it!
After 2 years of campaigning, and thanks to your support, a pilot project to extend free rail travel for companions of Blind Persons Concessionary Travel cardholders has been agreed in the Scottish Government's Fair Fares Review in March 2024. You can also read our news article about the pilot launch here. This is a great win for the campaign and another step towards accessible train travel for all. The pilot scheme is launching on 1 April 2025 and will run for one year.
Sight Scotland have been working with Scotrail and Transport Scotland to conduct a pre-pilot survey and have run focus groups as part of the evaluation of the scheme which closed on 28 February. This ensures that the changes we’re implementing will have the most positive impact for those who need it most.
If anyone would like more information about the pilot you can have a read of our FAQ’s below or get in touch with our Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans Policy and Engagement Manager, Nicoletta, via email at policy@sightscotland.org.uk or by calling 0131 229 1456.
We are calling for:
- Free rail travel for the companions of those with a National (Scotland) Concessionary Travel for Blind Persons card
- Accessible rail travel for blind and partially sighted people
- A consistent policy across Scotland, wherever you are travelling
Why it's needed:
Currently, there is no national policy for rail travel across Scotland which entitles free rail travel for the companions of blind and partially sighted people. With different concessionary and companion schemes in different areas, we heard first-hand how this is causing confusion to both passengers and rail staff.
We want to make rail travel better for those living with sight loss. That’s why we’re calling for a new national rail travel policy for Scotland, like that of the free bus travel scheme. We're delighted this has been considered and a pilot project is being developed by Transport Scotland.
What's next:
Thanks to our strong campaigning, we're closer than ever to achieving equitable rail travel. We have been working closely with Transport Scotland and ScotRail to develop the pilot scheme which launches on 1 April 2025.
Blind Companion Rail Travel Pilot FAQs
Those who have a National Entitlement Card (NEC) with the eye+1 symbol will be entitled to bring a companion with them at no cost when travelling together.
The blind cardholder can be accompanied by 1 companion who will be granted free travel with the cardholder. Free travel does not extend to others who may be travelling as part of a group.
The cardholder and companion should access rail services as they do now except the companion will no longer need to purchase a ticket to travel. The cardholder should present the card to train staff and the companion automatically travels free. At ticket barriers the cardholder and companion should show the cardholder’s pass to the gateline staff, who will give them access through the gates.
You don’t need a ticket with a Concession card issued with the Visual Impairment concession. The card itself is your ticket to travel on ScotRail.
If you require a seat reservation, please visit a staffed station or contact ScotRail customer relations to arrange this. There is no charge for seat reservations.
This offer applies on all ScotRail services. It does not apply on other operators including Caledonian Sleeper, Avanti West Coast, LNER, Cross Country or Lumo.
There are no plans for other operators to offer free companion travel at this stage. The pilot is limited to ScotRail only.
No, cardholders and their accompanying companion will travel free on all ScotRail services across Scotland.
The pilot will run for 12-months and it will be evaluated by Transport Scotland. Transport Scotland will consider the findings of the evaluation and a decision will be made regarding future rail services for blind and partially sighted people in Scotland.
If you’d like any more information on the pilot scheme or the evaluation please contact a member of the team at Transport Scotland by emailing: blindcompanionsurvey@transport.gov.scot
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