Overview

I visited Perth Railway Station by train from Glasgow Queen Street to attend a conference. The station is highly accessible and close to the town centre.

Transport & Parking

There are seven accessible parking spaces, three in the main car park at the entrance, and four in the car park at Platforms 6 and 7. The spaces at the main car park are located across two zebra crossings and two roads, one single-lane, and the other triple-lane. In this car park, you'll also find two EV chargers. The EV spaces are the size of a standard parking space, both are Type2 7KW chargers operated by ChargePlace Scotland. The charging unit is elevated by the kerb, but the sockets and card reader can be reached from sitting height. To the right of the entrance, there's a bus stop. Private hire taxis pick up immediately outside. Perth Bus Station is a 100m from the Railway Station.

Access

I arrived at Platform 2. As I pre-booked assistance, the Passenger Assistance crew were prepared for my arrival. The entrance/exit to the station was through a corridor on the left, where you'll find the reception desk. The signage is clear, and the station operates an induction loop at the front desk and the platforms. The access at the station is impressive, there's ramped access between platforms 1 and 2, though the ramp is rather steep, making it difficult for a manual wheelchair or powerchair that can't build speed or even for a walking stick user. There are seven platforms at the station, with lifts at Platform 1, between 2 and 3 and between 4 and 5. Each of the platforms has benches, for those who require seating. The station also has a Costa Coffee, though I didn't have cause to enter it, it was the only place other than the station vending machines to buy drinks and snacks.

Toilets

The accessible toilets are part of the standard toilets. The gents are behind the reception desk at the gates which is awkward, as I had to navigate the space between a desk chair and the wall to access the toilet. The toilets are accessed by pressing a touchpad, both on the outside and the inside of the toilet. The toilet cubicle was spacious but rather smelly, even for a public toilet though it was spacious and had most of the expected amenities. It has a low sink, with grabrails on either side, the toilet had grabrails on either side too, though transfer is only possible from the right. The soap dispenser is above the sink and the hand dryer is wall-mounted nearby. The red cord touched the floor and was free of obstructions. As with many accessible toilets, this one doubles as a baby change with a folding table mounted on the wall. The room could easily accommodate a carer and boasts a bit of a rarity, a full-length mirror!

Staff

The staff at the station were helpful and quick to notice when I needed assistance. They helped me arrange ramp access for my return journey, as I didn't book assistance for the trip back.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

Wider spaces for EV charging are a must, as the current spaces limit accessibility for disabled drivers and could easily prevent a disabled person from exiting or entering their car, should another car park in the other bays.

Photos