Wheelchair user forced to crawl through three train carriages after GWR ramp failure

A 24-year-old wheelchair user has described how she was reduced to tears after being forced to crawl on her hands and knees through three train carriages when staff told her a ramp could not be used to help her disembark.

Phoebe Tesoriere, who lived in Caerphilly at the time of the incident, was travelling on a Great Western Railway (GWR) service from London Paddington to Bath Spa in December 2025 when the ordeal unfolded. She had been returning from a concert in the capital, a trip she had bought as a Christmas gift for her parents before her diagnosis.

The journey had begun with her family speaking to the assistance desk, who directed them to the only designated wheelchair space on the train. According to Phoebe, they were given firm assurances that a ramp and staff assistance would be waiting for her when the train arrived at Bath Spa.

However, upon arrival, she was informed that the carriage she had been placed in would stop beyond the platform, making it impossible to deploy a ramp. Phoebe says that during the journey, staff had checked which station she would be leaving the train at on numerous occasions, yet she was never told about the problem with the carriage's position.

Phoebe has hereditary spastic paraplegia, a genetic condition that causes weakness and stiffness in the leg muscles. She explained that her mother had specifically asked whether a ramp and assistance would be waiting at Bath Spa, and the family was assured that it would be. Instead, they were left facing a situation that would prove deeply distressing.

When the train pulled into Bath Spa, staff instructed Phoebe and her parents to remain on board and travel a further 15 to 20 minutes to Bristol Temple Meads, where they could disembark and then purchase new tickets back to Bath Spa. The family explained that this was not possible, as Phoebe's grandparents were waiting at Bath Spa station to collect them and drive her back to Caerphilly, where she was living at the time.

Staff then suggested that Phoebe attempt to manoeuvre her wheelchair through the train's aisle, but the chair did not fit. With no viable alternative, she was left with no choice but to crawl through three carriages to reach an exit.

"I was crying. People were staring," Phoebe recalled. She described how one passenger reached down to stroke her back and apologised, telling her that what was happening was not acceptable. While the woman was trying to offer comfort, Phoebe said the moment made her feel "like a dog."

Her mother, Kirstin Tesoriere, described watching the incident as "traumatic" and said it left her feeling utterly helpless. "When I close my eyes I can still see it, the pity on other passengers' faces. It was humiliating for her," Kirstin said. Once Phoebe reached the exit, her parents had to lift her back into her wheelchair themselves so she could get off the train using the ramp, as no staff members were waiting to assist her.

Great Western Railway has since issued an apology, stating it was "really sorry" and admitting that "we let her down, both when we helped her board and at several points during her journey." The company confirmed that Phoebe would receive compensation for her experience.

Phoebe made a formal complaint to GWR on the day the incident occurred, but the investigation was not completed until May. In its response, the train operator acknowledged that Phoebe's experience was "extremely poor" and took accountability for what went wrong. Despite sending her bank details to GWR as requested, however, Phoebe says she has still not received any compensation money and that the company has "ignored every email I have sent" since June.

"Nearly nine months after I complained, I am still fighting to get an answer. No disabled passenger should ever have to crawl," she said. Her mother said she understood that "mistakes were made" but believes her daughter has been treated "inexcusably" since the initial incident. "I can't forgive them for how they've made an awful traumatic experience last for months," Kirstin added.

The case highlights ongoing concerns about accessibility on Britain's rail network. Phoebe said she wants to see substantial improvements in accessible transport across the UK, adding: "It's ridiculous that disabled passengers are still expected to go through this." She believes there is a widespread assumption that "everything is accessible these days, but it really isn't."

Her diagnosis means her condition is expected to deteriorate over time, making the need for reliable assistance even more critical. Kirstin said she had hoped to "make lovely memories" with her daughter, but the family has not used public transport since the incident.

"She's just scared now and she's already lost so much to her diagnosis," Kirstin said. "You just want your children to be happy."

The incident raises questions about the reliability of passenger assistance systems on UK railways, particularly for wheelchair users who depend on pre-booked help to board and leave trains safely. Under current arrangements, passengers are encouraged to arrange assistance in advance, but the system relies on effective communication between operators, station staff, and onboard crew to ensure ramps and help are in place at the right carriage at the right time.

In Phoebe's case, that chain of communication appears to have broken down repeatedly, leaving her with no safe way to exit the train. Disability campaigners have long argued that inconsistent assistance provision restricts the freedom of disabled people to travel independently and can turn routine journeys into distressing ordeals.

For Phoebe, the physical and emotional impact has been compounded by a lengthy complaints process that has yet to deliver the promised compensation. Nearly nine months after the incident, she says she is still waiting for both a satisfactory answer and the money she was told she would receive, a delay her family describes as adding insult to injury.