Citytrain - Easy access - Disability access

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Easy access

Access for all our passengers

QR is committed to providing services that give access to all our passengers. Whether you are a person in a wheelchair, someone who has difficulty walking and using steps or a passenger with a vision or hearing impairment your travel needs are QR’s concern.

QR has an ongoing program of creating a barrier free environment which involves constructing new lifts, ramps, access paths, toilets, signs and seating. Better access benefits all passengers including mothers with small children or babies in prams, bicycle users and older citizens.

All new trains under development are fully accessible and our existing fleet is being refurbished to meet the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act. Spaces in trains for wheelchairs, prams and bikes are being increased and doors and grabrails painted yellow to assist people to enter and ride safely and securely.

» Passenger rights and responsibilities

» Access at QR stations

» Access on QR services

» Planning your Journey

» Safety

» Companions, Carers and Support Workers

» Wheelchairs and scooters

» Feedback and complaints

Passenger rights and responsibilities

Right to complete and accurate information about QR services and access provisions.
Right to respectful customer service from QR staff.
Responsibility to seek information about access provisions at departure and destination stations and use this to plan your journey.
Responsibility to inform station staff and/or guards of your need for assistance at departure and destination stations.
Responsibility for personal mobility aids or assistance animals.

Access at QR stations

QR’s 143 stations can be (1) accessed independently, (2) assessed with assistance from a carer, (3) via stairs. Please use the station details pages to identify which stations meet your mobility requirements.

Most stations have platforms lower than the carriage door and passengers will require a portable ramp or assistance from the guard to board the train.

Selected stations provide tactile indicators on the platform to guide people who are vision impaired to the entrance and exit of each platform, emergency help phone and boarding point.

QR is in the process of installing hearing loops, electronic information displays and timetable consoles to assist passenger who are hearing impaired to be aware of train arrivals and departures. A SMS number 0405 322591 is also available for enquiries.

For more details on accessibility for all QR stations, please download the document below.

Please note that upgrade and maintence work at stations may impact on access and may not be listed in the Disability Access Guide. Check the service alterations section of this website before commencing your journey.

Disability Access Guide - All QR Stations [956.63 kb]

Access on QR services

Spaces for wheelchairs and scooters are provided in most QR services. These are located in the fourth carriage close to the guard. In trains without allocated spaces, passengers should park in the entry vestibule.

QR has continued to increase its understanding of the barriers to accessible passenger rail services. We use this information to refine our designs and broaden our approach to the removal of these barriers. This understanding has resulted in the development of a broad, comprehensive and multifaceted plan to eliminate discrimination from passenger rail services. Please view the QR Accessible Passenger Rail Services - Action Plan - 2007-2012 for more information.

pdf

QR Accessible Passenger Rail Services - Action Plan - 2007-2012 [1.50 Mb]

Planning your Journey

1. Find out when trains depart and determine how long your journey will take. TransLink 13 12 30 or the TransLink web site – www.translink.com.au have details
Phone the station or speak to the staff at the station to ask them for any assistance you may need. If the station is not staffed you can contact a Passenger Service Officer on 07 3606 5555 or SMS 0405 322 591 or use the help phone on the station platform.
Familiarise yourself with the station layout. If you have not used the station before, a Passenger Service Officer can explain the location of lifts, ramps and stairs as well as the accessible toilet, help phone and ticket vending machine.
Arrive at the station early in case access is not as expected. This allows time to choose another form of public transport.
Keep the contact numbers for TransLink and the Passenger Service Officer on you so that you can use them when needed.

Safety

QR aims to provide passengers with a disability a safe and comfortable rail service. Safety features include:

Yellow warning cues – tactiles along the platform edge, safety line, yellow strips on stair treads, yellow doors and handrails on trains
Highly visible access symbol at the train boarding point
Emergency assistance - help phone at stations, emergency intercom in carriages and a SMS service for deaf passengers
Strong and stable boarding ramps for wheelchairs
Door closing announcements
Closed circuit cameras on platforms and trains

Staff promote safety by:

Providing clear messages via the public address system at stations and on trains about change of platform, disruption to services and emergencies
Looking out for people having difficulty locating the boarding point and carriage doors
Assisting people with walking limitations and vision impairment into the carriage
Assisting people in wheelchairs to use the boarding ramp
Encouraging people in wheelchairs to be ready to exit the train at their destination station

Companions, Carers and Support Workers

Passengers with disabilities, who require a high level of assistance, should be accompanied by a companion. A companion is any person, including a paid or unpaid carer, friend or family member who accompanies the passenger with a disability to provide attendant care support.

Companions travel for free on QR Citytrain services if the passenger with a disability has a Companion Card issued by any Australian state or territory. Cardholders must present their card when purchasing a ticket and if requested by QR staff at stations or onboard services.

QR expects that once the passenger has boarded the train, the guard will not be required to provide physical assistance, behaviour management, communication techniques, personal care or medical intervention.

To apply for a Companion Card, issued by the QLD Government, please call 13 13 04 or visit www.companioncard.asn.au.

Wheelchairs and scooters

When you are seated in your wheelchair or electric scooter it must be no heavier than 200 kg and be able to be parked in a space on the train 800mm wide and 1300mm long. If it exceeds these requirements, it is too large to be safely transported by train.

Feedback and complaints

QR welcomes your feedback about any aspect of its services and complaints are taken seriously. Feedback can be provided by contacting QR's Customer Liaison Unit on 07 3235 3580 between the hours of 8am to 4pm Monday to Friday or emailing us at clu@qr.com.au

Customers can provide their feedback in writing via letter to the following address:

Customer Liaison Unit
Passenger Services
QR Limited
GPO Box 1429
BRISBANE QLD 4001

For after hours assistance or for information on services please contact QR's Passenger Services Officers on 07 3606 5555.