Blind Passenger Stranded at Train Station After Assistance Fails Twice
A blind passenger was left alone and scared at a London station when promised assistance never arrived
Kelsey Trevett, London, Willesden Junction, Dalston Kingsland, TfL, Accessibility
London: Kelsey Trevett had quite the weekend, filled with drama. This 23-year-old, who is blind, found herself alone and scared at a train station when the promised assistance just didn’t show up—twice!
She was trying to get from Willesden Junction to Dalston Kingsland to meet friends. But when she arrived, no one was there to help her change platforms. It was late, and she had to rely on her cane and some luck to find her way.
Kelsey, who lost her sight to cancer as a child, was understandably frustrated. She said, “It was scary. I was isolated and quite vulnerable.” She expected help from Transport for London’s ‘turn-up-and-go’ service, but it didn’t work out.
After getting off the train, she was left to navigate the station on her own. It was dark, and she had no idea where to go. “If I’m asking for assistance, it’s because I really do need it,” she explained.
Things didn’t get better on her way home. Again, no assistance was waiting for her at Willesden Junction, and she had to scramble to catch the last train. Kelsey called the whole experience “appalling.”
She also tried to reach out to TfL for help before her trip but couldn’t get through to anyone. “Accessibility champions really don’t count if I can’t get through to speak to them,” she said.
The next day, she had another frustrating experience at Euston station. Even though she asked to be dropped off at a specific exit, her request was ignored. Instead, she was taken to a staff member, which felt patronizing to her.
Kelsey described her weekend as “a whole weekend of drama after drama after drama.” She emphasized the need for better training and awareness to ensure disabled passengers can travel safely and confidently.
She pointed out that while there are good experiences, it only takes a couple of bad ones to shake someone’s confidence. “What matters is raising awareness,” she said, hoping for a system that truly supports disabled travelers.
Metro has reached out to TfL for a comment on this situation.