Travel in Moray: Disabled woman's 'nightmare' train journey
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A disability campaigner has talked about the "nightmare" trip she endured on a train journey which passed in part through Moray.
Louise Smith, who is a wheelchair user, travelled from her home in Thurso last week to attend her daughter's graduation in Aberdeen.
The journey south offered no option to buy food on-board on either of two trains.
Then, on the way back north again, there were no toilet facilities at Inverness station while swapping trains.
Louise, a project officer with Caithness Disability Access Panel, said: "Lockdown is often quoted as being responsible for a lot of the country’s ills.
"Once again we’ve seen it rearing its ugly head this week with regard to train travel between Caithness and Inverness.
"The trolley service selling passengers drinks and snacks has been disrupted for months.
"That means that travellers can often be trapped for hours without refreshment."
Louise stated that she experienced even more issues when returning home to Thurso.
She said: "As well as there being no trolley service, a disabled passenger, along with several other travellers, was unable to alight at Nairn as the doors failed to open.
"These people had to travel on to Inverness and get another train back to Nairn."
Louise added: "Travellers heading north are usually expected to be able to dash into the Inverness station toilets between trains.
"But this was not possible as the toilets were closed for maintenance due to ‘back flow’.
"This was compounded by the situation at the station café where there was a sign advising that the toilets inside were not available.
"It stated that customers should use the ones on the concourse inside.
"Talk about bad planning."
Louise said she had travelled on the far north line during lockdown and that the trolley service was "non existent" at that time.
In response Scotrail said it is now in the process of a "phased reintroduction of at-seat hospitality".
Meanwhile, the facilities at Inverness station, which are operated by a thrid party contractor, had been closed on the date in question due to staff shortages.
Phil Campbell, ScotRail's head of customer operations, said: "We’re sorry to customers that haven’t experienced the service they expect from us.
"We’re still very much in a period of recovery from the pandemic, and it continues to have an impact on the services we’re able to deliver.
"Everyone at ScotRail is focused on attracting more people back to the railway and delivering the service they expect and deserve."
