ParalympicsGB’s Penny Briscoe Calls Out “Disgrace” that Forced Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson to crawl off London Train
In a painfully ironic turn of events on the eve of the Paralympic Games, Baroness Tanni Grey Thompson was forced to crawl off a train at London’s Kings Cross Station yesterday.
Ahead of the Paralympics Opening Ceremony in Paris today, ParalympicsGB’s Chef de Mission Penny Briscoe condemned the incident as “an absolute disgrace”.
She lamented that such events are “the lived experience of disabled people on a daily basis.”
“You should, as a disabled person, be able to get on and off a train and go about your daily living, but the reality is it’s far more difficult than that.”
Tanni won 16 Paralympic medals in wheelchair racing during her own Paralympic career. Now a life peer and broadcaster, she was headed to Paris to take up commentating duties when she was stranded on the train without assistance.
The train from Leeds to London arrived at Kings Cross Station at 22.02, but Tanni was still waiting for assistance over 15 minutes later. Despite using X to request help from the train operator London North Eastern Railway (LNER), she was forced to get out of her wheelchair and crawl from the train floor to the platform.
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson was forced to crawl off of a train at London’s Kings Cross yesterday on her way to the Paris Paralympics. Photo courtesy of Tanni Grey-Thompson.
Tanni posted about the incident as it unfolded on X, where she regularly shares her own and others’ experiences of inaccessible public transport. She posted: “At 22.17 (train got in at 22.02) I decided to crawl off. Had to move all my stuff onto the platform. Member of cleaning staff offered to help. They’re not insured.”
Speaking to The Guardian, Tanni said “I was really angry. Leeds and Kings Cross are two of the biggest stations in the country. It shouldn’t be difficult.”
LNER’s managing director David Horne offered his “sincere apologies” on X and promised to investigate, adding “we’ll put corrective action in place once we know what happened.”
During an interview with Ability Today last month, Tanni said: “Step-free access onto trains is attitudinal.”
“Every government since the 90s has kicked the can down the road. That’s attitudinal. You just put it in government policy that you procure level-access trains. And they don’t need to cost a huge amount more. Attitudinal barriers are the biggest area we need to overcome.”
Of the London Underground she added “On the Elizabeth line it’s only the central section that’s step-free to train, the two ends still require a ramp. That’s appalling.”
Looking ahead to Paris, Tanni said “I’m a bit disappointed that they (Paris 2024 organisers) promised that the metro was going to be accessible and then they didn’t bother. That’s quite sad.”
ParalympicsGB’s Paris 2024 Chef de Mission, Penny Briscoe, condemned Tanni’s experience as “an absolute disgrace.” Pictured (Left) at ParalympicsGB House this morning with UK Sport Performance Director Dr Kate Baker.
Accessible transport has been a key topic leading up to Paris 2024. The Parisian bus network has been made fully accessible and a fleet of 150 accessible shuttles have been made available to Games spectators.
However, the promised expansion of the Metro to provide more accessible lines failed to materialise.
Penny Briscoe today said that Paris is “on an accessibility journey” and revealed that athlete buses have six accessible wheelchair spaces onboard.
“In terms of their Metro system, it’s a work in progress. Their objective, in terms of legacy, is to use the Games to create a more accessible society for Parisians.”
Briscoe added “What we’re trying to do as ParalympicsGB is, through sport, inspire a better world for disabled people. We want change and our athletes want change.”
The Paris 2024 Paralympics Opening Ceremony starts at 7pm BST this evening, with competition events kicking off from tomorrow, 29th August.
by Lauren Lethbridge, ADJ Diploma Student