Travel tips for older people in Manchester
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Living Well
There’s a lot of support across all public transport to help you get around Manchester safely – from designated support teams, to mobile apps and technology. Take a look at some of them below.
Travelling via Manchester Piccadilly Station
As Manchester’s central train station connecting services within Manchester and across the UK, many older people pass through Manchester Piccadilly each day. The station has implemented a wide range of support and accessibility services to make getting around easier for elderly people.
Use Passenger Assist
The passenger assistance point is located opposite platform one, and the team can help with –
- Support finding amenities at the station (such as accessible toilets), and locating your platform or interchange service
- Help finding and getting into a taxi
- Support when boarding, finding a seat
- Helping you off the train and accompanying you to the exit, or a connecting train or service
- Disability assistance, such as arranging ramps
- Providing advice on accessible travel around the city
- Carrying your bags (up to three items)
Because Manchester Piccadilly is a large station they recommend arriving at least 30 minutes before your train service leaves if you need assistance. And, while the team are always happy to help, to guarantee there is someone free to help you, it’s recommended to book your assistance in advance.
You can do this up to 2 hours before you arrive, and the easiest way is through the Transreport Passenger Assistance mobile app. You can find the app by searching “Passenger Assistance” on your app store (iOS/Android). You can also book assistance by calling Network Rail 0800 022 3720.
When booking assistance you’ll need to provide –
- The date and time of the train you’d like to travel on
- Your seat reservation if you have one
- If you’re travelling with anyone else (this is important as accessibility vehicles in the station can only seat a maximum of three people)
- Any accessibility preferences you have
Navigating the station and interchanging
There are two step free entrances to the station – One on the station Approach Road via London Road and one on Fairfield Street. Platforms 1-12 are step free, while platforms 13-14, and the MetroLink tram platforms have lift access.
The station also has a Free Bus service that goes to various local locations and stations around the city, including popular spots like Manchester Cathedral, Chinatown, Deansgate rail station, and Spinningfields. The buses can be accessed from the Approach Road bus stops.
Check out the accessibility services offered by different train companies
The train companies serving the Manchester area all offer Passenger Assist services. If you’re not travelling via Manchester Piccadilly, you can arrange assistance before you travel through their individual websites or at the station you’re departing from. Some companies also offer further measures to make your journey more comfortable.
Avanti West Coast
Avanti recognises the Sunflower scheme – a UK wide scheme for highlighting hidden disabilities, as a sign a passenger may need additional support. Alongside this, they also recognise Just a Minute (JAM) cards, which are physical or digital cards that communicate you need a bit more time and patience due to a disability or difficulty.
East Midlands
If you use a mobility scooter you’ll need to apply for Scooter Card by calling 08000 11 33 23, in order to bring it on an East Midlands train. They also offer concessionary travel scheme for people with visual impairments and wheelchair users.
East Midlands has been working with Communication Access UK to develop TALK passenger assistance cards, which can help you communicate with their teams. They cover a wide range of prompts from ‘I need help buying my ticket’ to ‘please call my emergency contact’.
Northern
Northern offer mobility scooters access at more than 100 stations, and recognise the Sunflower scheme. They’ve also created a priority seating card in partnership with Hidden Disabilities, the organisation behind the Sunflower Lanyard scheme for customers to get better access to priority seating. You can request a card through their website.
Transpennine Express
If you’re a Blue Badge holder, you can park for free at any of their stations by registering with APCOA. All ticket offices are equipped with British Sign Language (BSL) video interpreters, and they also recognise the Sunflower scheme. If you struggle with anxiety for feel overwhelmed when travelling, they also offer a range of excellent guides on their website to help you prepare for your journey.
Travelling by MetroLink tram
Manchester MetroLink has been designed to be highly accessible to all passengers. Every tram stop has a ramp, lift or escalator, and step free access making them wheelchair accessible. There are also emergency call-points and tactile edges on all platforms for those with visual impairments.
Travelling by bus
There are six bus operators in Manchester city centre and the greater Manchester area, and all offer low floor access, priority seating, and spaces for wheelchair users on most routes. A few of these operators also offer additional assistance to make bus travel easier for older passengers.
Arriva
Arriva operate an accessible travel policy, offering free journey assistance cards which can be downloaded from their website and printed at home. These cards can discreetly inform bus drivers that you’re a disabled passenger or that you may need a little extra help during your journey, for example you may have limited mobility or poor balance and need the driver to give you more time to get safely to your seat before they pull away from the bus stop. These cards cover a range of needs, including –
- I’m deaf, please be patient / speak slowly
- Please be patient I have difficulty speaking
- Please scan my pass for me
- Please let me know when we get to my location
Arriva also recognises the Sunflower lanyard, and can accommodate some “Class 2” mobility scooters onboard as long as you’ve sought prior approval from Arriva and been given a “permit for travel”.
Diamond
If you’re worried about missing your stop due to memory or spacial problems, or a visual or hearing impairment, try downloading the free Diamond Bus phone app. The app can send an audiovisual alert to your smart phone when your bus stop is approaching.
First Bus
Like Arriva, First accepts ‘Class 2’ scooters with 3 or 4 wheels, provided they are no more than 600mm wide and 1000mm long, with a turning radius not exceeding 1200mm. Again, it’s best to contact the company before taking a mobility scooter on a bus for the first time.
They also offer their own free assistance cards to discreetly alert the driver to a range of conditions that may mean you need help, such as if you’re recovering from a stroke, have trouble hearing, or struggle to scan your pass. If you don’t have access to a printer you can save the card on your mobile phone and show it to the driver when you board the bus.
First has also signed up to the RNIB Charter to provide further support to passengers with vision impairment. This means that if you are waiting at a bus stop the driver will always stop – even if the bus is full, in which case they’ll advise you on the next best service you can take.
Ring & Ride
This is a special service offering low cost assisted travel to older and disabled people who have mobility issues. If you use a Transport for Greater London / Bee Network travel pass for older people, you can book a Ring & Ride minibus to take you and a companion door to door on journeys of up to six miles, or further if you’re travelling to a specific hospital.
This service operates between 8am to 10.45pm Monday to Saturday and 8am to 10.25pm on Sundays. You can find the application form for this service and book a trip on their website.
Get free travel with the Bee Network travel pass
If you live in Greater Manchester and qualify for a state pension you can apply for a free Bee Network travel pass. This off-peak travel card lasts for five years and enables you to travel for free on all buses within Greater Manchester between 9.30am and 12am, Monday to Friday, and limitless travel at weekends and on bank holidays.
If you use the MetroLink tram or national rail trains, you can add these to your pass with an annual payment of £10. This enables you to travel by tram and train for free after 9.30am on weekdays, and all day on weekends and public holidays.
To use the pass, simply tap it on the card readers on buses and at tram stops, or on the barriers at train stations. When your pass is due to expire, you’ll be sent a new one two weeks before the expiry date, as long as you’ve been actively using it. If you’ve not been regularly using your pass, you may need to reapply. If you lose it, you may need to pay a £10 free for a replacement pass.
Find a travel companion with Elder
We understand that even a short journey to the shops can be difficult or overwhelming if you’re living with disability issues, or memory or mobility problems. Elder’s visiting care service can connect you with self-employed professionals who can accompany and support you while out and about – whether this be offering a helping hand while getting on and off public transport, carrying shopping bags, seeking assistance from customer services at stations, or working out which bus to take.
You can book as many or as few visits as you need, scheduling them around your routine, and can choose your own carer to ensure you’re comfortable with the person helping you. Give us a call to find out more.
Sources –
- https://cdn1-originals.webdamdb.com/13953_108888960
- https://www.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Manchester-Piccadilly-accessible-station-guide.pdf
- https://tfgm.com/accessibility/guides/bus-accessibility
- https://tfgm.com/tickets-and-passes/discounted-and-free-travel/travel-pass-for-older-people
- https://tfgm.com/accessibility/guides/tram-accessibility
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