Photo credit: Severnside CRP
The Motability Foundation is excited to award £591,659 to Community Rail Network through our Travelling with Confidence grants programme.
Community Rail Network programme
Community Rail Network is a national not-for-profit organisation that supports communities to get involved with their local railways and stations, and to get the best from them.
Beginning in 2025, this funding will create a new programme which aims to build on the travel awareness, skills and confidence of disabled people in accessing local rail services. Community Rail Network will engage with 1,500 disabled people in partnership with these four organisations:
- Community Rail Lancashire
- GO Community Rail Partnership (Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire)
- Severnside Community Rail Partnership
- Southeast Communities Rail Partnership
As well as being responsible for coordinating the programme, Community Rail Network will also gather evidence and share insights with their railway partners and local and national decision makers.
Why are we funding Community Rail Network?
Community Rail Network began developing this programme following Scope’s Travel Fair report which highlighted that a large proportion of disabled people face barriers when using rail travel, and how these can be reduced.
The research report showed 54% of disabled people often or always feel anxious using public transport and 30% say difficulties with public transport reduce their mobility.
Community Rail Network has found that engagement with disabled people about their lived experiences of travel, can help to identify and break down barriers to train travel.
“We’re working towards a truly inclusive railway”
Jools Townsend, Chief Executive of Community Rail Network, said:
“We know from our members’ experiences working with the disabled community, and people in diverse circumstances, that too many people feel excluded from our railway.
“But we also see up-close the incredible benefits that can be unlocked through meaningful engagement, building travel awareness, skills and confidence, and, crucially, drawing on disabled people’s expertise by experience, to affect wider change.
“Enabling people who previously felt unable to use rail to start accessing the opportunities it can open-up, training, employment, leisure, and social opportunities, can be life changing. Ultimately, we’re working towards a truly inclusive railway, and all disabled people being able to travel with confidence.”
“Support disabled people to use trains and buses confidently”
Lisa Jones, our Director of Charitable Operations, said:
“We’re delighted to award Community Rail Network with this grant to work with Community Rail Partners and create a travel training programme to support disabled people use trains and buses confidently.
“The Community Rail Network, together with its partners, will gather insights from disabled people’s experiences and offer travel awareness training, supporting disabled people to travel independently and confidently.
“Awarding grants to important organisations like the Community Rail Network helps us to make an immediate difference to the transport needs of disabled people.”
Learn more
Find out more about our grants to charities and organisations.
