The new lounge, which is adjacent to the taxi rank on the upper deck at London Paddington, provides passengers who use the assistance programme with accessible wheelchair spaces, reduced mobility seating and a customer information screen.
The Assisted Travel Lounge (ATL) is being operated by Network Rail’s Passenger Assistance team, who will have a customer ambassador on hand to help any passengers requiring the use of the facility. It will be open from 8:00am until 8:00pm on weekdays, and from 10:00am until 6:00pm on weekends. When the waiting room is not staffed, there is a Help Point located on the taxi rank area adjacent to the ATL that connects passengers directly to the Network Rail reception on platform 1 for assistance.
The facility provides a safe, convenient and accessible waiting room which improves comfort for passengers of restricted mobility and helps to make their journey quicker and easier.
The lounge also alleviates the need for passengers to travel from the taxi deck area, down to the Network Rail reception office on platform 1 and then to their respective departing trains.
Passengers using the new lounge can now use the mobility buggy to take them directly to their platform when their train arrives, cutting out the additional journey to the reception on platform 1.
Susan Evans, Network Rail’s head of passenger strategy for Western route, said: “It’s key for Network Rail to put passengers first by providing a first-class service to everyone who uses our stations and the railway as a whole.
“Travelling through a busy station can be challenging for those with additional needs but the new assisted travel lounge provides a safe and friendly space to wait for trains and onward connections and to get assistance from a dedicated team when needed.”
Great Western Railway accessibility manager Tom Law said: “We welcome the introduction of this Assisted Travel Lounge at London Paddington.
“GWR is passionate about making its trains and stations accessible to all and anything that can be done to enhance the customer experience is a real positive.
“We look forward to working with our colleagues at Network Rail to make this new lounge at Paddington a welcoming space, providing the perfect start to a customer’s journey with us.”
Passengers arriving at Paddington station by vehicle can access the new lounge from Bishop’s Bridge Road, where they can be dropped off picked up. Pedestrian access is either via the canal or from the main station footbridge and up the escalators adjacent to platform 12. Transport for London passengers are able to access the lounge from Hammersmith and City underground station.
