Wheelchair User Says She Had to Crawl Through Train After Assistance Failed

A 24-year-old wheelchair user says she was left in tears after being unable to leave a train at her planned station and eventually had to crawl through several carriages on her hands and knees.

A Journey That Was Supposed to Be a Family Gift

Phoebe Tesoriere was travelling with her parents on a Great Western Railway service from London Paddington to Bath Spa after taking them to London for a concert.

Before the journey, Phoebe’s family contacted the assistance desk and asked whether a ramp would be available when they arrived at Bath Spa.

They say they were assured that the necessary assistance would be provided.

She Could Not Get Off the Train

When the train arrived at Bath Spa, Phoebe discovered that the carriage she had been directed to was positioned beyond the part of the platform where she could safely leave the train using a ramp.

Staff told the family they could remain on the train and travel to Bristol Temple Meads before returning to Bath Spa.

For Phoebe and her family, that was not a practical option because relatives were waiting to collect them.

She Crawled Through Three Carriages

Phoebe said she was then encouraged to try moving her wheelchair through the train.

But the wheelchair could not fit through the narrow aisle.

With no suitable way to leave the train, she eventually crawled through three carriages on her hands and knees.

Her mother described watching the incident as traumatic and said she felt helpless as her daughter struggled to get off the train.

GWR Admits It Let Her Down

Great Western Railway apologised to Phoebe and acknowledged that the company had failed her during the journey.

The rail operator said it was sorry both for the way assistance was handled when she boarded and for problems that occurred during the journey.

Phoebe said she spent almost nine months trying to get an answer from the company about what had happened.

A Wider Question About Accessible Travel

Phoebe’s experience has highlighted the difficulties wheelchair users can face when travelling by train, even when assistance has been arranged in advance.

For disabled passengers, reliable information about carriage positions, platforms and ramps can make the difference between completing a journey normally and being left without a safe way to leave a train.

Phoebe hopes that sharing her experience will help prevent other wheelchair users from facing the same situation.

Source: BBC News Wales, October 6, 2026.