Avanti West Coast is working with a local branch of a national charity to promote independent travel for people with a learning disability in North West England.

The West Coast operator has teamed up with the Liverpool and Sefton branch of Mencap on an initiative called On The Right Track.

Avanti is funding the project through its Customer Community Improvement Fund (CCIF).

The key aims of the project are to highlight the importance of inclusive travel training and to promote changes that travel operators and others can make to improve accessibility and remove the barriers that prevent people with learning disabilities from travelling independently.

The project consulted with adults with learning disabilities to develop and design travel training resources that included them.

Part of this consultation involved adults with learning difficulties travelling on an Avanti West Coast service from Liverpool to Crewe, which the operator describes as “a key transport hub in the North West”. The passengers’ experiences of the journey were fed into the findings of the consultation.

Kathryn O’Brien, Customer Experience Director at Avanti West Coast, presented members of the group of passengers with a Certificate of Achievement.

The project also included a study, the results of which showed that ten in every eleven (91 per cent) of adults with learning disabilities who find it difficult to leave their home want to be able to travel independently and with more confidence.

Other train operating companies have also supported initiatives to help people with learning disabilities to travel, including South Western Railway’s involvement in the ‘Travel With Confidence’ scheme.

“Travelling shouldn’t be a barrier which is why it is so important to that we hear and listen to the voices and perspectives of people with lived experience. We can really learn from each other, and that is key to moving towards fully inclusive travel.

“Our On the Right Track Project co-designed Travel Training with Mencap members, building from their real life experiences, worries and aspirations to help shape a more understanding and inclusive future. We are extremely grateful to Avanti West Coast for providing the opportunity for us to carry out this really impactful project.”

Nadine Jones, Progression Leader at Mencap Liverpool and Sefton