Deadline to make trains accessible for disabled ripped up in Boris Johnson's first 'broken promise' since election win

Around 1,200 carriages, one in every 11 in the fleet, allowed to keep running – to avoid mass new year service cancellations

The Pacer trains were introduced as a 1980s ‘stopgap’ – but will now run into the next decade

(Simon Calder)

The deadline of 1 January 2020 to make all trains accessible for disabled people has been ripped up in what has been branded the first “broken promise” since Boris Johnson’s election win.

Around 1,200 carriages – many of them on notorious northern routes, already dogged by delays and cancellations – will continue running into the next decade, The Independent can reveal.

The tally is one in every 11 in the fleet and 50 per cent higher than the number that rail companies had asked for permission to keep in operation, despite having had a full decade to prepare.

Some cannot accommodate wheelchairs, while others lack audio-visual information systems, easy to use handholds and handrails, or an accessible toilet – if toilets are fitted at all.

The move was sharply criticised by campaigners for better transport and for people with disabilities as a bitter new year pill for passengers to swallow.

Tanni Grey-Thompson, the multi gold medal-winning Paralympian, said: “I’m hugely disappointed. The rail industry has to urgently address what it is going to do to allow accessible transport and be transparent with its plans.

“It feels like there is tinkering around the edges. They’ve had plenty of time but just kept pushing it into the long grass.”

Darren Shirley, the chief executive of Campaign for Better Transport, said: “With 10 years to prepare for the deadline to make trains accessible, this is a delay too far and has let down disabled passengers.”

And Andy McDonald, Labour’s transport spokesman, said: “This government is not yet a week old, but is already breaking its promises.

“They said these clapped-out trains would go and disabled passengers would have better access. You can’t believe a word they say.”

No fewer than 10 operating companies have been granted permission to breach the accessibility standards that were due to come into force on 1 January.

They include Northern Rail and its infamous Pacer trains – bus frames mounted on train wheels as a “stopgap” measure more than 30 years ago – which David Cameron vowed to banish way back in 2014. A total of 180 Pacers will remain in use.

In a letter seen by The Independent, Chris Heaton-Harris, the rail minister, said he had “reluctantly agreed” to loosen the deadline, but blamed the rail companies.

The new plan is for the carriages to be replaced between April and next December – a full year’s delay – although it is unclear how achievable those new deadlines will be.

The minister’s letter says: “Despite such a significant period of time for the rail industry to prepare, I understand that were all non-compliant trains removed from service there would be a disproportionately negative effect on the provision of services for passengers.

“Thus I have reluctantly agreed to issue strictly time-limited dispensation notices to a number of operators for around 1,200 carriages in the national fleet.”

Mr Heaton-Harris said the rail firms must do more “to prevent the practice of operating rail replacement bus and coach services that are not compliant with relevant accessibility regulations”.

Where non-compliant buses were used, they “must provide passengers who require it with accessible alternative transport, such as taxis”, the letter said.

Northern and Transport for Wales (TfW) had already made clear they would have to continue to use Pacer trains, which have no dedicated spaces for passengers using wheelchairs.

Northern blamed a delay in the arrival of new trains being built by a Spanish manufacturer, while TfW said trains refurbished by rolling stock company Porterbrook would not be ready.