Make Free Companion Rail Travel Permanent for Visually Impaired People in Scotland
The Petition
We are calling on the Scottish Government to make their pilot project free companion rail travel for visually impaired people with Eye + 1 National Entitlement Card on ScotRail services a permanent policy.
Why This Matters
Since 1st April 2025, a year-long pilot scheme has allowed visually impaired people with the Eye +1 National Entitlement Card to travel with a companion free of charge on all rail services all stations within Scotland. This simple change is already transforming lives across Scotland, but it's only guaranteed until March 2026.
For many visually impaired people, having a companion is about safety, independence and equal access. Companions help with boarding trains, navigating busy stations, and identifying platforms in poor light. Without this support, many people with visual impairments simply stop travelling by train altogether.
Yet whilst companions travel free on buses across Scotland, they've had to pay their rail fare—until now. This pilot has shown what's possible when we remove that barrier.
Introducing the pilot scheme had cross-party backing in the Scottish Parliament. Visually impaired people have really welcome support from senior politicians of all parties, now we are asking them to take the next step and make the pilot scheme permanent.
Real Impact on Real Lives
George Heenan, 87, RAF veteran from Glasgow: "I have used it regularly with my wife and we have travelled all around Scotland. It has opened so many doors for me. Safety is a big thing—getting on and off the train, navigating through the station—for someone with vision impairment it gives you peace of mind that you can travel safely like everyone else. I've done so much more since it was introduced."
Agnes Houston, 76, former army nurse from Coatbridge: "Since the pilot launched, I feel like I have started living again. I have travelled to Edinburgh for dementia meetings with my daughter, I have visited Inverness with my support worker. When I travel alone, I am constantly on edge, always worrying about where to get off, whether I'll manage safely. But with a companion, I can relax. I feel safe. I feel free. This pilot must continue."
Peter Ramsay, 56, army veteran from Irvine: "This free companion rail travel pilot makes travelling so much safer and takes away the stress and strain of using the train. Train stations and the underground can be very dark, especially in winter, and it is hard to judge where the edge of the platform is. It is dangerous and scary. This pilot scheme gives me real freedom."
What We're Asking For
The pilot runs from 1st April 2025 to 31st March 2026 and is already proving highly successful. People who had stopped travelling are now visiting family, attending appointments, and participating in their communities. But this positive change is temporary unless free companion rail travel is made permanent.
We're calling on the Scottish Government to:
- Make free companion rail travel on ScotRail services a permanent policy
- Ensure consistency with existing free companion travel on buses
- Give the 8,000 Eye +1 cardholders across Scotland the certainty they deserve
This isn't about creating something new—it's about extending an existing entitlement to rail services, creating a fair and consistent policy across all public transport in Scotland.
Sign the Petition
Join us in calling for this life-changing policy to become permanent. Visually impaired people in Scotland deserve the same support on trains as they already receive on buses and ferries.
Together, we can ensure that everyone can travel safely, affordably, and with dignity across Scotland's rail network.
Organised by Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans
For more information, visit sightscotland.org.uk