Greater Anglia’s New Passenger Assist Booking-UK Rail Innovation

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Introduction

Greater Anglia, the East of England train operator, has introduced a streamlined Passenger Assist booking process. The new software integration simplifies the booking process, offering a faster and more convenient service for customers. This initiative, launched on August 19, 2025, aims to enhance the travel experience for disabled and older passengers who require assistance.

Enhancements to Passenger Assist Booking

Greater Anglia has launched a new streamlined Passenger Assist booking process. The operator claims to be the first train operating company in the UK to launch the initiative. Passenger Assist is a national system designed to dismantle travel barriers for older and disabled individuals. It offers a range of services, including journey planning, assistance with boarding and alighting from trains, navigating stations, and purchasing tickets.

Streamlined Booking Process

This innovative approach allows passengers to request assistance simultaneously as they book their rail tickets directly on the Greater Anglia website at the post-purchase screen or “my bookings” page. This eliminates the prior procedure, which required customers to navigate to a separate Passenger Assist website to request help. The new software integration simplifies the booking process, offering a faster and more convenient service for customers.

Customer Impact and Usage

Greater Anglia accessibility manager Rebecca Richardson stated, “Last year, we assisted more than 112,000 people with their journeys on Greater Anglia, and around 60,000 of those journeys were pre-booked. “We are pleased to introduce these changes, which will make it quicker, easier and more convenient for customers who like to buy their tickets online. Passengers can also still book assistance over the phone or on the passenger assist website if they prefer.” Each customer is required to have their own Passenger Assist account, and the new system currently applies only to Advance ticket bookings. For other ticket types, assistance bookings must still be made over the phone or through the Transreport Passenger Assist website or app.

Industry Context and Public Ownership

In December last year, the UK government unveiled its intention to bring three train operating companies, including South Western Railway, C2C, and Greater Anglia, back into public ownership by 2025. This decision follows the government’s Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act and is a key component of a wider initiative aimed at revitalising and injecting funds into the railway industry. The goal is to consolidate the management of rail infrastructure and services under one organisation.

Conclusion

Greater Anglia has implemented a streamlined Passenger Assist booking process, allowing customers to request assistance directly on their website. This enhancement follows the government’s plan to bring the operator back into public ownership by 2025.

Company Summary

Greater Anglia: An East of England train operator.

South Western Railway: A train operating company in the UK.

C2C: A train operating company in the UK.

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