Today more and more people with disabilities and reduced mobility travel. Like everyone else, they have the same right to safety, comfort and accessibility on their journeys. The railway pays close attention to protecting the rights of passengers with disabilities and tries to make rail travel as comfortable and safe as possible. And to make booking tickets for your trips as easy as possible, don't forget to use the AnyTrain service.
As the country's largest carrier, Ukrzaliznytsia has a social responsibility towards its citizens, especially those with disabilities. Its staff make sure that these passengers can travel conveniently, comfortably and safely.
In this article you will learn about the extra facilities and special conditions that the railway offers passengers with disabilities at stations and on trains.
For people with disabilities and other passengers with reduced mobility, the stations of JSC Ukrzaliznytsia provide proper conditions for barrier-free access to railway facilities (rest areas and rooms, waiting halls, toilets, ticket offices, ramps, buttons to call staff on duty, left-luggage offices, parking spaces, and navigation and wayfinding aids).
To serve and accompany these passengers and deal with travel arrangements, stations have assistance teams for people with disabilities and other passengers with reduced mobility. The teams include medical point staff, station duty officers, senior ticket clerks and other employees involved in serving passengers with disabilities. Passengers are informed about these teams through public announcements and on information boards and screens.
It is now possible to issue concessionary tickets for people with disabilities online, with the validity of the document confirming the right to a concession checked against the central disability database of the Ministry of Social Policy. Online tickets can be issued to people with disabilities who belong to the concessionary category entitled to reduced-fare rail travel without coupons.
The staff carriages of passenger trains carry wheelchairs for moving people with disabilities around inside the carriage. For assistance, contact the train manager or the attendant of the staff carriage.
Travelling around the country in a wheelchair is extremely difficult. That is why Ukrzaliznytsia makes a great effort to make rail travel as easy as possible for people with disabilities: the company draws up an annual action plan to create favourable conditions for them.
Ukraine's railways have around 1,500 stations serving passengers, more than 1,000 of which are equipped with ramps. In addition, car parks near stations have been fitted with sloped kerbs and appropriate signs.
Special information aids for people with disabilities are particularly important. These are call buttons mounted at a suitable height that connect passengers with ticket offices, left-luggage offices and first-aid points.
Equally important for passengers with physical disabilities are accessible hygiene rooms in waiting halls. One example is Kyiv's central station. This room has an accessible toilet, a shower cubicle, a hand dryer and a hairdryer, and is fitted with special grab rails.
Walkways are kept clear and special handrails are installed. It is also worth noting that today no railway facility is in operation without proper conditions for the safe movement of people with disabilities.
Railway companies are actively buying special wheelchairs to help people with disabilities move around station buildings.
The railway is trying to introduce additional services for people with disabilities. For example, at Lviv station a 150-centimetre tactile relief with the platform number has been placed on the wall of the tunnel stairs to help visually impaired passengers find their way.
Support teams for people with disabilities have been set up at all junction stations. They include medical point staff, station employees, senior ticket clerks, porters and baggage office staff. Their job is to help people with disabilities buy tickets, board and leave trains, and stay overnight in the room for people with disabilities. Railway staff receive special training organised by local associations of people with disabilities.
When a special carriage is ordered, a telegram is sent. It contains the date and time of arrival and the station at which a car needs to be arranged. If necessary, railway staff can meet the passenger with a disability and offer assistance.
Special carriages equipped with a lift for wheelchair users are available. In these carriages the compartments are wider than in standard ones and the seat positions can be adjusted. The compartments also have places for carers, and the toilets are adapted accordingly.
All stations have dedicated parking spaces for passengers with disabilities. Stations also have wheelchairs to help people get on and off trains and in and out of cars. If necessary, station staff together with medical workers will meet passengers and accompany them to their vehicles.
Every detail in the carriages has been thought through so that people with disabilities do not experience any inconvenience. Train crews can also board wheelchair users from higher platforms, which until recently was difficult to do.
