TRANSPORT union RMT called on the government to put passenger accessibility and safety at the heart of its plans for Great British Rail (GBR) today.

The transport select committee released a report following its inquiry into accessibility for disabled people on the transport network.

It found “far too great a burden” is placed on individual disabled people to hold operators and authorities to account for not fulfilling their duties.

Committee chairwoman Ruth Cadbury said it should be a national embarrassment that Britain’s transport services “effectively treat disabled people as second-class citizens.”

RMT gave evidence to the inquiry after the previous government proposed the closure of nearly 1,000 ticket offices, a move quashed thanks to campaigning by the union, and disabled and older passengers.

The committee confirmed that these cuts “risked significantly damaging people’s access to the rail network” and that staff presence “is often a crucial determinant of whether safe and independent travel is possible at all.”

It urged Labour to ensure that the transition to GBR does not further reduce accessibility.

RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said: “It is important that passengers do not feel forced to rely solely on ticket machines or apps as they do not always meet the accessibility needs of all travellers.

“A properly staffed railway is a necessity and the government must ensure that ticket offices remain open, continue to be adequately staffed, and every train has a second safety-critical member of staff on board.

“The government must now act to ensure Great British Rail prioritises access and safety for all.”

Commenting on the report, local transport minister Simon Lightwood said Labour has “worked quickly to put accessibility at the heart of our bus and rail reforms, as well as continuing work to make hundreds of train stations step-free.”