Alstom and Back Up, a spinal cord injury charity, have partnered up to support those with a spinal injury.

They are working with Manchester transport operators to provide enhanced accessibility.

The partnership saw them deliver a new City Skills course, which helps people gain independence confidently when travelling.

The course was held between the 1st September and the 6th September.

The five-day residential programme saw people learn a range of skills, including station navigation, problem solving and boarding and alighting trains.

They also learned about adaptations in place to assist them, including higher levels of staff training, accessible footbridges and toilets and better quality passenger information.

Within the course, there was a Transport Focus Day, where participants travelled by train and on the Bee Network Buses, meeting with operators to discuss what works and what doesn’t and how the businesses can adapt and improve.

“At Alstom, we believe that accessible transport is not just a legal requirement – it’s a social imperative. Supporting Back Up’s Manchester City Skills course through our Community Project Fund reflects our commitment to empowering people with spinal cord injuries to travel confidently and independently,”

“Seeing participants engage directly with our teams and share their lived experiences has been invaluable. It’s helped us better understand the barriers they face and inspired us to keep improving our services. We’re proud to stand alongside Back Up in driving meaningful change for disabled passengers across the UK.”

Gaynor Stewart, Head of Customer Service Delivery at Alstom.