In a harrowing incident, Abdul Enever, a blind passenger, narrowly escaped tragedy when he fell onto the tracks at Manchester Piccadilly station. Enever recounts the terrifying moment, “When I was down on that track I just thought: this is it.” Fortunately, he was able to pull himself back onto the platform just a minute before a train arrived, sustaining injuries to his knee, hands, and neck.
This near-miss has had a lasting impact on Enever, who says, “Every time I go to that station, or anytime I’m near any platform, that comes up. It’s really anxiety-inducing to travel now, and I don’t think I’ll ever get over that.” The incident has also sparked a wider conversation about the accessibility and safety of the UK’s rail network for passengers with visual impairments.
After a three-year legal battle, Enever has been awarded £18,000 in compensation from Network Rail, though the company did not admit liability. Leigh Day, the law firm representing Enever, argued that Network Rail had breached its duties under the 2010 Equality Act and the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 by failing to make reasonable adjustments for passengers with disabilities, such as the lack of tactile paving on the platform.
Enever, a master’s law student at the University of Strathclyde, believes this case is about more than just compensation. “The money is a plus, but for me the main reason I did it was to prevent it happening again, both to myself and to other visually impaired travellers,” he says.
The rail industry’s reactive approach to accessibility issues is a key concern for Enever. “The rail industry has a culture of: let’s react to things rather than minimise risk and look ahead – that was one of my main reasons why I took on this case,” he explains.
Enever’s vision for a more inclusive rail network includes a live-chat feature on the passenger assist app to reach staff members more easily, and a clearly marked passenger assist help button at the entrance to every train station. He also wants to see the industry engage more proactively with people with lived experience of visual impairment.
The case has shone a spotlight on the broader challenges faced by passengers with disabilities in the UK’s transport system. As Enever states, “This case is about much more than compensation. Poor accessibility in rail travel is not just a one-off issue. This is something that prevents myself and others with visual impairments from travelling with confidence.”
