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Table 2 Key benefits of inclusive railway design
From: Step-free railway station access in the UK: the value of inclusive design
Level | Benefits | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Individual (that is, persons with reduced mobility or PRMs) | Economic | Mental Health | Physical Health |
- Greater access to job opportunities, especially those located near railway routes - Lower transport costs (e.g. lower reliance on more expensive transport modes like taxis) | - Reduced levels of travel anxiety - Increased self-confidence/esteem and greater dignity - Lower sense of social isolation (and negative health outcomes like depression) - More social interactions and engagement in the community | - Reduced levels of bodily pain and fatigue when travelling - Reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured by falls | |
Rail Operator | Direct Revenue | Indirect Revenue | Others |
- New PRM users - New non-PRM users due to better rail travel experience | - Secondary benefits resulting from greater vibrancy of places and a thriving local economy | - Better corporate image/reputation - Fulfilment of corporate social responsibility | |
Wider Society | Economic | Environmental | Social |
- PRMs benefit from reduction in unemployment - Increased productivity with PRMs joining the job market - Reduction in government health expenditure, especially in relation to mental health issues among PRMs | - Modal shift from more carbon-intensive transport modes like cars and taxis to railways (e.g. improvements in air quality, a decrease in CO2 emissions) | - Reduced burden on families and care-givers of PRMs - Reduced social segregation - Increased harmony contributing to a more inclusive society | |