More than 400,000 disabled people take the train every year. The SNCF makes welcoming them a priority.

Investing
The French Act of February 2005 gave transport providers and Regional Councils 10 years to make public transport accessible for all passengers with disabilities. The SNCF has decided to invest EUR 500 million of its own money to make the whole transport chain accessible for people with all forms of disability (visual or auditory impairment, reduced mobility, learning or cognitive disabilities).

Listening
In order to tailor its adaptations to the actual needs of people with disabilities, the SNCF chose to include them from the start.
Talks were led by the Mission Voyageurs Handicapés (Disabled Travellers' Commission) and its first trial was enlightening. Between May and July 2006, Paris-Montparnasse station was transformed into a 'test laboratory for disabled travellers'.
People with disabilities tested the equipment installed, voted for the pictograms for the most common disabilities, approved the magnetic loop enabling hearing-aid users to tune in to the frequency of the ticket booth and requested improvements to other equipment. The idea was to determine which facilities should be deployed on a national scale.

Assisting
The second mainstay of the SNCF’s accessibility policy is to offer services, starting with Accès Plus, a free service to greet and accompany travellers with disabilities. Just contact the Accès Plus Service Centre (by telephone, Minitel, fax, text message or e-mail) up to two days before departure. 7 days a week (from 7 am until 10 pm), 27 operators deal with requests and co-ordinate journeys from start to finish. Accès Plus is already operating in 58 stations, and will be generally available in 2008 at more than 400 stations in France.