News
Jaki with others outside The Oval

Disabled Eurostar passenger abandoned on train at St Pancras

A disabled Eurostar passenger was abandoned on a train at St Pancras station – despite booking wheelchair assistance ahead of her travels.

Jacqueline Jackson, 55, from East Sussex, had arrived in London from Paris last week when staff left her stranded on the train.

Jaki, who was diagnosed with ALS in August, had booked staff assistance ahead of her trip.

But staff failed to show, leaving her stranded and alone for 15 minutes before she was eventually helped.

The delay caused her to miss her connecting train home, leaving her waiting 30 minutes on a cold platform for a slower train to arrive.

She said: “I was astounded that despite seeing us waiting, all of the staff on the train ignored us and left.

“I had a connecting train booked to take me home and was really anxious and annoyed at being stranded.”

Jaki uploaded a video on Twitter of her waiting inside the train with the wheelchair assist machine placed on an empty platform and not a single staff member in sight.

A Eurostar spokesperson said: “Our colleagues work hard to provide a high level of care and assistance to our travelers and we take this very seriously.

“We are following up with the customer as a matter of urgency to understand what happened.”

Jaki opted to use train for the journey after ruling out using a plane due to the limited bathroom space.

On a recent flight, she said that she had been locked inside the toilet due to her illness affecting her hands and not being able to unlock the doors.

She continued: “This caused a massive panic attack and my sobbing was heard all over the plane. It was so humiliating and upsetting.

“It’s so frustrating that airlines don’t consider disabled people. I have stopped drinking on planes to avoid needing the loo, which is not good for my condition.”

Despite the complications during her already difficult and overwhelming circumstances, she continues to travel with the support of her husband and two boys, aged 18 and 22.

Join the discussion

1 Comment
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Douglas
Douglas
26 April 2023 9:11 pm

There is no excuses for this very poor service, poor mrs Jackson ,give her free travel she deserves it !

Related Articles